The Urban League of Northwest Indiana’s Summer Learning Labs are at their midway point.
Ten days remain in the free program that provides tutoring in reading and math for students who will be entering grades 1 through 9 for the 2024-25 school year.
Summer Learning Labs are at 23 sites in Gary, Merrillville, East Chicago, and Hobart. Each site is required to provide 3½ hours of daily reading and math instructions followed by at least one hour of enrichment activities. Some sites operate all day with 3 hours of enrichment activities. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided.
The Indiana Dept. of Education is paying for the labs, here in northwest Indiana and in 3 other locations. The tutoring sessions are replicas of the Indy Summer Learning Labs, initiated by The Mind Trust and its partner, The Lavinia Group, in 2021.
Their aim – overcome the learning loss students in Marion County suffered during the Covid pandemic.
Students were tested before and after 20 days of math and literacy tutoring. Results showed a 130% gain in English Language Arts and a 233% gain in Math in 2021.
Every year since, Indy Summer Learning Labs showed significant progress for students. That prompted IDOE to spread the program across the state this year.
The Gary Historical and Cultural Society operates a lab site at Christ United Methodist Church, 201 W. Ridge Road. GHCS paused its Summer Enrichment Program for Learning this year to partner with the Urban League. GHCS charged a fee for its program and reduced the costs based on the number of children a family enrolled.
“This is a great program and it’s free. Our summer program only had 1½ hours of academics,” said Linda Jones, GHCS president.
Each site chooses the grade levels it will offer tutoring and enrichment activities. GHCS selected 2nd through 4th grades. Over 20 activity providers signed up for the Urban League program. GHCS selected art classes, financial literacy, nutrition & healthy eating. Activity sponsors come to the site.
“They also want us to do things outside of the building with the children,” Jones said. “We took them to a play at IU Northwest. We took them to Lake Etta. Next, we are going horseback riding at the Brown Family Farm.”
State Rep. Vernon Smith and The Mind Trust’s Katie Beth Mueller were among the visitors at the GHCS site Monday, guests of Urban League President Vanessa Allen-McCloud and DHB & Associates’ Dr. Deb Black, co-anchors of the Summer Learning Labs.
Teacher Joe Ann Jackson said her students, who had completed third grade, had little or no multiplication skills. “With small group sizes, this is perfect. We can get them ready for 4th grade.”
Jackson has 3 students. Jones said 21 students signed up for the GHCS site, but only 9 came.
Dr. Black said attrition was at all the sites. “At Williams School, 90 signed up; but only 40 came. Some had transportation problems. Next year, we’ll have a better chance to reach out to families. Indy had the same problems the first year.”
“Since you voted on this funding,” Dr. Black said to Rep. Smith, “perhaps you can get the legislature to add funding for transportation.”
