Independence Day is a time to remember the courage, sacrifice, and determination of those who fought for our nation's freedom. The colonists dreamed of a place where every voice mattered, where people could live with dignity, and where justice and equality would be the guiding force for the future. Yet the right to freedom is not just about the past. It’s also about what we do with it today. Therefore, the question for those who oversee our youth is how to instill this virtue in today’s students. Especially since they have enjoyed the freedom of living in a democracy their entire life. 

Although today’s youth may not be leading revolutions or writing a constitution, they still have something just as powerful which is their voice. Student voice refers to the active involvement of students in the decision-making processes that affect their learning and school environment. It’s about recognizing students as partners in education, not just passive receivers of knowledge. It is acknowledging their ideas, questions, and dreams matter.  

When youth can discuss their thoughts, opinions and beliefs, they are honoring the very spirit of independence. People working in summer programs can use Independence Day as a reminder for students attending their programs to have the freedom to learn, grow, and shape the world the world they will be living in. Encourage students to use their voices not just to speak, but to listen to others, try and understand their perspectives, and to become leaders in their school.  When students are given a platform to express their ideas, concerns, and aspirations, not only will their school benefit but their community benefit as well.  

As out of school practitioners create an environment where students feel safe and respected, they will share their thoughts.  You can encourage dialogue by using tools like surveys, suggestion boxes, or reserve time for open forums. Show students that their input can lead to real change.  As students are given the opportunity to speak, and more importantly, to be heard, they become a crucial part of actively engaging in their programs.

Independence Day recognizes our nation's freedom from colonial rule or oppression. Similarly, by encouraging student voice, you are empowering young people to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns freely within their schools and communities. Just as a country values its independence, schools should value students' perspectives as well. Empowering student voice isn’t just a cliché; it’s a transformative method for teaching and learning. Happy Independence Day, and may we always remember our voice is our power.

The irony of working in the out-of-school time field is that as the school year starts to wind down, summer programs start to shift into high gear. Programs transition from operating approximately 2 to 4 hours a day to providing six to eight hours of services. The premise of the summer loss argues that the academic progress that students made during the previous school year diminishes during the summer break. Even if the student attends summer school, which is usually for remediation not necessarily retention. 

According to P.T. Von Hippel (2019), students will lose approximately two months of what they’ve learned in math learning every summer.  The National Summer Learning Association claims that starting in elementary school low-income students will suffer from summer learning loss which contributes to a noticeable academic performance gap between them and their middle- class peers (NSLA, 2019).

However, according to research conducted by. Megan Kuhfeld who collected data from the 3.4 million students who took the NWEA MAP Growth assessments, determent the students who experienced the greatest loss during the summer, were those who made the greatest gains during the previous school year. Her research indicates that most children, regardless of their learning advantages, tend to learn more slowly during summer vacations compared to the school year. This means that each summer provides an opportunity for children who are lagging to catch up. In other words, even if learning gaps don't widen significantly during summer vacations, these breaks still offer a chance to reduce them (M Kuhfeld, M, 2019). 

The summer break provides after school and summer programs with the opportunity to provide disadvantaged students with resources and activities to reduce summer learning loss. Previous research shows that summer learning programs for disadvantaged children can shrink achievement gaps, especially if students attend them regularly for several years (Trends, C. 2009). A study conducted by Bowers, and Schwarz (2017) revealed that if students from low-SES homes participate in a well-designed summer programs, their participation can result in improved oral and written narrative skills. Unfortunately, poor attendance sometimes dilutes the effectiveness of summer learning programs; therefore, students who attend summer programs regularly get a benefit, but other students do not.

References

Kuhfeld, M. (2019). Surprising new evidence on summer learning loss. Phi Delta Kappan, 101(1), 25-29.

Trends, C. (2009). Effective and promising summer learning programs and approaches for economically disadvantaged children and youth.

Von Hippel, P. T. (2019). Is summer learning loss real?. Education Next, 19(4).