There are problems with education that start way before students get to college.

Low-income children fall back in reading and math every summer. National studies show that this kind of learning loss can profoundly affect the academic progress of our youngest learners. The Monroe Community College (MCC) Horizons Program in Rochester, NY is designed to help some of our littlest academics avoid that achievement gap.

With a helping hand from the Harley School’s established Horizons Program, MCC’s Horizons Program welcomed kindergarten students from the Rochester City School District to a dynamic six-week academic enrichment program designed to combat a summer decline in academic engagement and performance. The program provides a unique combination of academic, social, cultural, wellness and recreational experiences that challenge them, develop their talents, keep them engaged and expand their horizons. Participants tend to gain three months in reading skill levels each summer and are far more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. This first cohort will return summer after summer as another cluster of kindergarteners enters the program. Ultimately, the program will expand to Grade 8, serving a total of 110 to 135 students. Continue reading →