In Good Hands with Indy Summer Learning Labs
This guest blog is written by Samantha Abston, one of The Mind Trust’s 2024 summer interns. Samantha’s role was to help document this year’s Indy Summer Learning Lab programming. During the five-week summer program, she visited more than 10 sites and spoke with dozens of students, teachers, and staff about their experience.
Why Indy Summer Learning Labs
Summer is essential for students needing a break from the intense school work they do throughout the year. But, summer break can come with losing already gained knowledge, putting them behind for the next school year. What If I told you there is a wonderful opportunity for your children to have the best of both worlds? Indy Summer Learning Labs (ISLL) offers a five-week free or low-cost program that offers fun enrichment activities and a high-quality curriculum that closes gaps and prepares students to take on their rising grade in the fall.
ISLL partners with community–based organizations local to you, such as churches, community centers, daycares, and schools to offer your kids a safe and fun environment for the summer. Not only do students in grades 1st-9th learn from a rigorous math and reading curriculum by trained teachers, but they also get to build relationships and have fun by going on field trips and participating in enrichment activities on-site.
“I liked this summer because they are teaching us how to swim, whether you are a good swimmer or not. I also have got the chance to build new relationships with friends, and I learned how to do long division which is something I struggled with prior but my teachers showed me easier ways to understand what I was learning.” Rising 7th grade student at Keenan-Stahl Boys and Girls Club
My experience visiting sites across Indy
As a summer intern, I have had the chance to visit many sites from the start of the program to the end. I am nothing short of impressed by the work that is being done by these sites and their leaders to keep enhancing this incredible opportunity for students.
An amazing thing about ISLL sites is that they are all different. They have different environments, enrichment activities, and teaching styles. It allows students to be able to dive into new environments and experience different things within their community.
I also had the pleasure of visiting Keenan-Stahl Boys and Girls Club, which is a great environment for not only rigorous academics but a place full of fun. Being a Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis site has many fun attributes. They have a swimming pool where they do water safety and swimming lessons. The site also has its own basketball court where they learn how to play sports like basketball, soccer, pickleball, and countless others. They also have a cool game room that has air hockey, ping pong, pool tables, and countless card and board games to play.
Isia Williamson is the Unit Director for Kennan-Stahl, and I had the pleasure of speaking to her as she discussed her thoughts on why it’s important to offset academics with fun enrichment. She shared: “It is especially important to make sure you offset the two as it’s what levels the field to have kids approach and take part in summer camp. It can be scary for kids, so when you make it enjoyable for them it’s a win-win for all parties involved.”
The PATH School was another site I visited that offered its own unique programming along with ISLL academics. At The PATH School, they have mentors and coaches. The coaches are their site’s name for teachers, and the mentors are advisors that provide coaches with direct feedback right away. The PATH also incorporated science and social studies within their kids’ day-to-day ISLL math and English Language Arts curriculum to enhance their learning capabilities. Marrissa Williams is a mentor at The PATH and had nothing but good things to say about the students and the success she has seen from them: “I cannot be prouder of them. They are learning, engaged, and asking great questions. They’re really focusing and making sure they are truly understanding the curriculum that is presented to them.”
“I love being an ISLL teacher because I see very quick growth for students that may not have had that advantage before. As a teacher, this environment allows me to work with smaller class sizes and help each student while also continuing to enhance my craft.” Saffron Cleveland – Circle City Prep
The last site I am going to touch on is Mt. Carmel Community Academy. They are doing great things academically and are also making sure their kids are having fun. Field trips are something I loved growing up and Mt. Carmel makes sure to give their students that experience. They have visited parks, splash pads, the Civic Theatre, the Indianapolis Central Library, the Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium, and the Indianapolis Zoo. One student from Mt.Carmel was a pleasure to talk to and told me about his favorite experience: “We go on lots of field trips. My favorite was the Indianapolis Zoo where I got to see my favorite animal, a cheetah.”
Overall, my experience visiting these schools and community organizations has been tremendous. I have seen so many different sites, talked to so many site directors and teachers, and got to really understand the impactful things these sites are doing by talking with the students. The Indy Summer Learning Labs program can do amazing things for students, parents, and teachers. It has the best of both worlds: a rigorous curriculum that allows students and teachers to close gaps and learn together and awesome enrichment activities that give that fun summer camp feeling.