New pilot supports children’s education and well-being and makes planning your child’s summer break turn-key


DETROIT — United Way for Southeastern Michigan is strengthening its community investment in education with the launch of a new digital pilot — Summer Sparkto help parents and caregivers find quality summer programs all in one place. In partnership with Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC), the new digital tool allows you to search for programs by price, age or location to fit your wallet and your child’s needs.

Summer Spark was created to address learning loss — known as the summer slide — in children living in low-income communities throughout Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. For these children, the summer slide can be especially detrimental over the school break. These gaps continue to grow, and by the end of fifth grade, children in these communities are nearly three grades behind in reading as compared to their peers living in more affluent communities. These challenges will also be magnified under new Michigan legislation taking effect during the 2019-20 school year, which will require students to repeat third grade if they fail to achieve reading proficiency.

Summer Spark activities will focus on sports, science and math to help ensure children are better equipped to enter the new school year prepared to learn, while increasing their health and wellness and developing academic and social-emotional skills. More than 150 programs are already featured via the Summer Spark digital tool, and United Way and YDRC plan to enhance offerings as it gains in popularity.

“We know that summer can be a time of great need for families seeking to feed their children’s bodies and minds over the summer break,” says Tammie Jones, vice president, education and economic prosperity, United Way for Southeastern Michigan. “This pilot will give us great insight into where the needs are. This digital portal makes it easy for families to utilize resources that are already in their communities, and will help children stay sharp all summer long.”

To shore up your child’s summer plans, visit UnitedWaySEM.org/SummerSpark to access a growing list of hundreds of age-appropriate summer programming options for your kids.

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About United Way for Southeastern Michigan
For more than 100 years, United Way for Southeastern Michigan has mobilized the caring power of the community. United Way convenes partners throughout Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties to achieve positive outcomes around Health, Education and Economic Prosperity to improve lives in measurable and lasting ways. Supported by a diverse group of volunteers from business, labor, government, human services, education and the community, United Way provides opportunities for everyone to get involved through giving, advocating, and volunteering. For more information, visit www.UnitedWaySEM.org.