Earlier this month the South Sound YMCA and North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS) kicked off their nineth year of Power Scholars Academy showing that long-lasting community partnerships are critical to the future of high-quality education.
Statistics show that kids from low-income families often start kindergarten unprepared and continue to fall behind without proper interventions. This “gap” is known as the Opportunity Gap and is caused, in large part, by the phenomenon of “summer learning loss”. Lack of summer learning activities among disadvantaged youth cause a loss of skills that accumulates each year. Despite progressing at the same rates during the school year, gaps widen each summer – and students fall farther behind their peers.
In 2016, the YMCA and NTPS partnered to create Power Scholars Academy – a community-based solution to eliminate the Opportunity Gap. Power Scholars is a full-day learning experience that combines academic instruction with North Thurston teachers with fun, hands-on enrichment activities provided by YMCA youth development professionals.
Troy Oliver, Superintendent of North Thurston Public Schools highlights the importance of community partnerships for the future of education. “The Y can access resources and offer deep expertise in youth development. Summer learning opportunities are higher quality and more accessible because of our partnership. This is something we couldn’t do on our own.”
Troy goes on to discuss the weight of the issues currently facing both kids and education systems. Mental health, isolation, and continued concerns around funding make moving forward alone an unrealistic objective. “It’s going to take strong, consistent partnerships to give our kids the tools and support they need to succeed into the future.”
As one of the largest youth development organizations in the country, the Y brings with it a tremendous amount of experience and support. And, as a long-standing local organization, they are uniquely positioned to meet emerging community needs.
In the journey from birth to career, youth undergo a tremendous process of growth encompassing social-emotional, cognitive, and physical dimensions. YMCA President & CEO, Kyle Cronk shares that the team at the South Sound Y “has decades of experience implementing best practices related to youth programing. Y programs focus on creating a culture of belonging, offering opportunities for achievement, and fostering caring relationships. This is the foundation of our work and community collaborations are critical to how we increase our impact and community benefit.”
In addition to the school district and YMCA, individuals and organizations from across the community participate in learning opportunities throughout the summer. Capital Centennial Rotary, the Lacy Police Department and others contribute time and resources to support the education of our future leaders.
Together, our community is carving a pathway forward. A path leading to healthier, higher achieving kids. A path accessible to all kids in our community. A path that withstands pandemics and recessions…because it’s a path we create together.