Summer programs offer solutions to learning loss

A growing number of families are turning to public and private programs that promise more than just a way to beat the Arizona heat.

These camps, workshops and youth employment initiatives offer structured solutions to summer learning loss, childcare gaps and teen disengagement — problems that have only intensified in the wake of pandemic-era setbacks.

Public and private providers across the Valley are stepping up with a range of options that include everything from free STEM labs and coding camps to art immersion, swim safety and paid internships for teens. Together these initiatives tackle two key issues head-on: youth idleness and the academic “summer slide.”

It’s estimated that students lose about 20% of their reading skills and 27% of their math skills gained during the school year