Rethinking Summer: California State Parks Pioneer Summer Enrichment Programs to Lessen the Summer Achievement Gap
Hundreds of children discovered that learning is joy—tilting your head back to look at a redwood tree, finding a hidden nest, balancing antlers on your head, and bounding out of a tent at 7 a.m. to hike two miles and explore a creek.
Thanks to funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, California State Parks piloted a Summer Enrichment Program to provide learning opportunities in outdoor settings for over 700 disadvantaged children.
Numerous studies document the achievement gap when (primarily economically disadvantaged) children have no chances to learn over the summer. The Packard Foundation responded by funding a pilot program with after-school care providers in Oakland, Fresno and Gilroy. The State Park Foundation funded State Parks staffing, travel, some camping equipment and interpretive materials for selected parks. State Parks staff, volunteers and cooperating associations at Diablo Vista, Marin, Monterey and Central Valley Districts worked together to ensure awe-inspiring experiences for the youth.
Children camped and explored at Sugarloaf Ridge and Mount Tamalpais State Parks. At Monterey State Beaches, kids learned about marine mammals and water safety, went on a geocache treasure hunt and boat tour at Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, and explored the grasslands and creeks at Henry W. Coe State Park.
The California State Parks Foundation was instrumental in securing the grant and transferring the funds.
Each of the state park grant programs recorded a marked increase in children’s knowledge of the natural and cultural history, while increasing understanding of their role in the environment. Most of the children experienced camping and/or the wonders of the park for the first time.
Huge thanks to the foundation, all the state park rangers, lifeguards, interpreters, seasonal staff, FamCamp® staff and others who guaranteed the success of this pilot program. You can bet that over 700 kids returned to school and excitedly told their classmates about their “awesome” summer!
Camping at Mount Tamalpais:
