The school year just ended for Chicago Public Schools students — which means, for most of them, a newfound sense of freedom and a lack of structure and responsibilities as the warmer, longer days of summer take hold.
This can be a time to take a needed break from the rigorous schedules and academic pressures that define the school year – a time to recharge and create the kind of childhood memories that will stay with them for years.
But the downside of a three-month summer break is the real prospect of further learning loss, particularly in this post-COVID educational environment. Educators already are dealing with learning loss and social-emotional delays from the academic disruption brought on by the pandemic. Even now that we are getting back to “normal,” teachers and students are still working hard to close the gap and raise achievement levels.
This is very apparent in under-resourced neighborhoods that lack academic interventions and supports, particularly in the all-important STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields. Many of these communities have been the victim of systemic inequities for years. The pandemic worsened the already-existing problems and brought them to the surface for all to see.
Just look at the “Nation’s Report Card” released last fall. It showed the largest decrease ever in national math and reading scores, with the steepest declines among minority groups and in low-income areas.
The sobering data, plus stories from educators on the ground, underscore the need for high-quality support throughout the year, as well as summer STEM programs as a tool for combatting learning loss and keeping students on-track and engaged in science.
Awakening curiosity, deepening knowledge
When kids participate in programs about gravity, energy, weather or other STEM topics, they awaken their curiosity and deepen knowledge and skills that might have fallen behind due to the pandemic. We see this all the time at Mad Science.
But STEM learning does not only have to come from organized programs. It can also come in the form of unstructured activities that keep young brains busy and promote growth — like a visit to a museum, a nature hike, an observation of neighborhood wildlife or at-home experiments.
Providing young people with creative, interactive ways to engage with the natural world encourages them to think about how fundamentals like biology, chemistry, physics and engineering are central to our everyday lives.
It also can give them foundational science knowledge that is essential to becoming an informed and productive citizen on the planet. Just as important, hands-on STEM exploration inspires kids, in a general sense, to enhance and channel their inherent curiosity and creativity, and it arms them with critical thinking, problem-solving and other 21st century skills that will serve them well no matter what career they choose.
The sooner this happens the better. Early grades are a critical time to get kids excited about academic subjects, especially STEM. We know those who engage with hands-on science at a young age are more likely to see themselves in science careers.
That matters, because the tech and science-focused job market is ripe with opportunity. STEM occupations are growing two times faster than all occupations, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
So there are multiple reasons to make sure the approaching summer days offer a healthy combination of leisure time and learning. We’ll be doing kids a favor — now, when school resumes and well into the future — if we encourage them to explore the world around them while they’re away from the classroom.
Sharon King is vice president of Research and Development and Franchise Operations for Mad Science, a company that provides after-school and other enrichment activities for children.
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