An Epic Experience

Our summer experience just ended and it was clearly successful!  Here's what Lisa Yamashita, the Assistant Superintendent of Student Educational Services had to say about it:"SLCUSD wrapped up our third successful year of the Summer Experience program! Our three elementary and two high school sites hosted 1,700 rising 1st through 8th graders at the height of enrollment. Summer Experience students attended three classes each day over the course of the 6-week program. This included academic coursework in English and Math as well as a wide variety of learning based enrichment classes. 

With community partners such as Children’s Creative Project, SLO Symphony, and SLO Bike Coalition, students were able to have authentic learning experiences in classes such as STEM: Bike Maintenance, Strings, Swim, and Entrepreneurship and we were able to expand and offer new curriculum in classes such as Newcomers, Journalism, ELA, Performing Arts: Dance & Drum, and Life Hacks. 

Summer Experience hired over 200 employees both from in our district and our community to staff the program in support, clerical, administrative, and teaching roles. Our commitment to providing an accessible program to SLCUSD families including free transportation, meals, and childcare meant we were able to serve an average of 725 1-12th graders with bus services each day as well as provide over 55,600 free breakfasts and lunches to students in our community over the summer. 

Parent feedback has been largely positive:

 “My kids have participated in SE since it began. Every year it has gotten better and they got to do so many cool things this summer. As a family with two working parents having an option that was safe, fun and that they actually enjoyed really saved us. Thank you!!!”"

KSBY ran a news feature on the Summer Experience.