Summer learning camps: helping students to prepare for college

College Student Journal, Sept, 2008 by Glenn Beer, Monique Le Blanc, Mark J. Miller

The mission of the Louisiana Tech Explorers Camps is to motivate students of GEARUP schools to begin planning and preparing for entrance into an undergraduate program upon graduation from high school.

*********

Public schools are charged with the task of promoting the development of future generations of citizens who can participate in a democratic society which is becoming increasingly technological. Federal legislation (e.g. School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994) and reports (e.g. Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991) have reflected general concern regarding the preparation needed today by young people to attain real economic opportunity (Lapan, Gysbers, & Petroski, 2001).

As important as post secondary education and academic achievement are to economic and societal success, students of low socioeconomic status continue to lag behind their more affluent peers. Students of low socioeconomic status have been found to exhibit lower levels of academic achievement, motivation, and engagement and are less likely to attend post-secondary education. Discovering sustainable and systematic ways to motivate students of low socioeconomic status to achieve academic success and post-secondary attainment continues to be a major task facing school practitioners and others (Lapan, Gysbers, & Petroski, 2001).

Preliminary research indicates that summer enrichment programs may have a positive impact on overall student development K-12, including academic motivation and engagement. The majority of this research has focused upon gifted students, although there is a burgeoning body of research detailing the impact of summer programs on at-risk or economically disadvantaged youth.

The purpose of this paper is to describe an innovative summer-based intervention targeting students of low socioeconomic status attending low-performing schools and to report preliminary data concerning the impact of this approach on participating students.

LA GEAR UP and Louisiana Tech University's Summer Learning Camps

Louisiana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (LA GEAR UP) is a six-year grant awarded to the State of Louisiana from the U.S. Department of Education. In its first year, the grant focused on a cohort group of approximately 3,000 seventh-grade, low-income, low-achieving students in twenty-five middle schools throughout the state. Students at the selected schools were judged to have above-average needs, based upon demographics that compared economic indicators, test results, and college entry statistics. The primary mission of LA GEAR UP is to elevate the academic achievement of low-income students, leading to broader success in middle and high school, as well as postsecondary education. This challenging goal requires implementation of multifaceted initiatives, including: 1.) enhancement of learning and counseling; 2.) intensification of student and parent support; 3.) provision of financial assistance and advice; and 4.) promotion of coordination with partners.

LA GEAR UP partnered with Louisiana Tech University to develop and conduct an innovative approach for student support designed to transform students' spirits and attitudes and heightened expectations for post-secondary education, entitled Summer Learning Camps. The strength of Summer Learning Camps was that serious work was cleverly interwoven throughout a fun-filled, activity-packed week of student enrichment and recreation. The overall purpose of the Summer Learning Camps is to motivate students to plan and prepare to enter post secondary education upon graduation from high school. One-week summer camps at Louisiana Tech University were available for middle school students enrolled in schools serving students of low socioeconomic status at no charge to the students. The goals of the camps included:

1. Provide stimulating learning opportunities for project participants with an emphasis on highly focused and motivating learning activities in mathematics, science, and English/language arts supported by technology;

2. Develop and promote career and educational aspirations through leadership training, personal exploration, tutoring assistance, continuing electronic mentoring, and through an introduction to various areas of study available to undergraduate students at Louisiana universities;

3. Help students develop early awareness about the need to plan for college both academically and financially by providing opportunities for them to meet with representatives from admissions departments of several Louisiana universities as well as financial aid counselors. Career action plans were developed for each project participant;

4. Foster the development of a diverse, cohesive, community support network and identity group consisting of project staff, teacher cadets, teacher candidates, university faculty, LA GEAR UP teachers, parents, and project participants working together and communicating regularly through electronic and other means to achieve project goals.