Free Summer Literacy Camp

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Summer learning loss disproportionately impacts students from low-income families, particularly in literacy. Without structured academic activities, many students lose the equivalent of two three months of reading progress over the summer. This gap compounds year after year, leading to long-term academic struggles and contributing to inequities in educational attainment. Many youth lack access to affordable enrichment programs, so the risk is even greater. Students from historically marginalized communities, including Black, Native, Asian, Latinx, students with learning disabilities, and English learners, are especially vulnerable. Our camp directly addresses this by offering free, high-quality, culturally responsive literacy support in a fun, creative, and community-centered setting. We aim to interrupt the cycle of summer learning loss, providing students a joyful, confidence-building experience that helps them return to school ready to succeed.

The Summer Literacy Camp for LA Youth will be a four-week, tuition-free program serving students ages 8–18 from underserved communities in Los Angeles County. Our camp combines evidence-based reading and writing instruction with hands-on creative arts activities to keep students engaged. Sessions will focus on guided reading circles, writing workshops, grammar and vocabulary games, independent reading sessions, art projects, community field trips, and guest speakers. Each student will receive free books, journals, and learning materials. The curriculum is grounded in the science of reading, aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and designed to be inclusive of all learners, including English learners and students with learning disabilities. The camp also incorporates social-emotional learning to build students’ confidence and resilience. Field trips to local libraries and cultural centers will connect learning to the real world. By blending academics with creativity and fun, we will provide an inspiring and educational summer experience for students who need it most.

Our vision is to create a joyful, high-impact summer program that not only prevents literacy decline but actively improves reading and writing skills for students who might otherwise fall behind. Success will look like students returning to school in the fall with increased reading stamina, expanded vocabulary, improved writing fluency, and a renewed love of learning. We also envision students who see themselves as readers and writers—empowered with voice, confidence, and a sense of agency in their own education. Long term, we hope to establish a replicable model for free, community-based literacy camps that can serve additional areas of Los Angeles. Through partnerships with schools, libraries, and community organizations, we aim to scale the camp and reach hundreds of students annually. Ultimately, we want our work to contribute to narrowing the opportunity gap in LA and ensuring that every child has access to joyful, rigorous, and culturally affirming literacy education.