The Boston Summer Learning Community brings together non-profit organizations, schools, researchers, and philanthropy to plan for summer year-round. The Community featured nearly 80 summer sites in 2015, with a variety of program models, jointly pursuing three goals: increasing student access to summer learning, improving the quality of programs, and scaling and sustaining best practices. All sites define, implement, and measure program quality consistently – implementing a common set of program quality measurement tools during summer to pursue continuous improvement together. Based on shared data, sites work together year round to identify strengths, share best practices, and jointly prepare for the ensuing summer. This focus on program quality sets the conditions for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and experiences for success through summer programming.

The Summer Learning Project is the flagship initiative of the Summer Learning Community; it represents 16 of the 79 total sites. Since 2010, the Summer Learning Project utilizes a partnership delivery model to manage and implement programming. Community non-profit staff and certified academic teachers co-develop, co-manage, and co-deliver academic and enrichment experiences to high-need students. This approach weds the best of youth development with top-notch academic instruction.

Boston’s citywide approach to summer learning is built upon partnership.

Best Practices for Cultivating Summer Learning Partnerships: