Julien's Journal September 2016 (Volume 41, Number 9) | Page 31

EducationReview

SEPTEMBER 2016

SUMMER
SCHOOLED
Collaborative efforts prevented
“summer slide” for Dubuque students

A
in Dubuque.

ccording to the National Summer Learning Association, summer learning loss is one of
the most significant causes of the achievement gap between lower and higher income
youth and one of the strongest contributors to the high school dropout rate. That’s why
the Dubuque Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), which is facilitated by Every
Child/Every Promise (ECEP), has focused on summer learning since it started in 2012.
Today, hundreds of students across the community benefit from the collaboration of
countless organizations partnering to create a robust summer learning environment

“Partners in the Dubuque Campaign for Grade-Level Reading have built learning opportunities into their
summer programs,” said Eric Dregne, executive director of ECEP. “They recognize it is not enough to
just keep kids safe and busy; they know we must ensure that they are engaged, learning, and supported
emotionally.”

Since 2013, the Dubuque Campaign, along with ECEP and the Community Foundation of Greater
Dubuque, have partnered with the Dubuque Community School District to facilitate the Summer Academy. The Summer Academy is a free, six-week learning experience designed to give students a literacyfocused morning, combined with an afternoon enrichment. Over 27 community