Summer Readers & Leaders (SRL), our free 5-week intensive literacy program, helps prevent summer learning loss in students from Holyoke’s low-resource neighborhoods by providing a bridge from the long summer vacation to the school year.

Research shows that students in low-resource areas like Holyoke can lose over 2 months of reading grade-level equivalency over the summer, compared to no loss or slight gains for children from more affluent areas who have access to stimulating summer activities.

During the 5 weeks, children work individually and in small groups with credentialed reading teachers on focused literacy activities.

But it’s not all work! Traditional summertime activities take place after lunch, including a combination of indoor and outdoor activities such as arts and crafts, cooperative games, board games, and computer time. Weekly trips to the library and various field trips round out the summer experience.

Summer Readers & Leaders also includes breakfast, lunch, and a snack—critically important at a time when many of the children might otherwise go hungry.