Closing the Achievement Gap: Kids on Course

July 11, 2018 | United Way Team

Javen is a student that we saw huge gains from during the Kids On Course Program.

As his teacher during the school year, I knew that Javen really struggled with engagement during class. If it was something that Javen was really interested in, then you had his full attention. If not, it was difficult for him to engage in a task and want to participate.

The summer program was huge for Javen because of the freedom to plan what the kids need in a way that was engaging to them. When we read about airplanes, dinosaurs, and other science topics, I saw Javen’s interest skyrocket. He could show his learning at a higher level by creating his own fossil, model airplanes, and liquid density tower.

I know Javen enjoyed his summer in the program. I also enjoyed it as a teacher because I saw him succeed beyond the school year. Javen is now within five correct words per minute on his FAST reading assessment and is on grade level in math.