New Report: How Community Partnerships Strengthen Summer Learning in Rural Districts

A new report in the Summer Snapshot series, developed in partnership with NYU Metro Center’s Policy, Research and Evaluation, FHI 360 and The Wallace Foundation, explores ways rural districts leverage community partnerships to strengthen summer learning programs. While ⅕ of all American students attend schools in rural communities, those same communities are missing out on the nationwide shift from traditional summer school to enriching summer learning models.

This report focuses on how such districts rely on often informal partnerships with community members, local businesses, and tribal nations to help close those gaps in flexible and responsive ways. Key takeaways from the report include:

• Summer offers opportunities for districts and their partners to connect students with experiences outside the district that are otherwise inaccessible.
• Local partners can expose students to learning opportunities drawn from the natural resources and culture found in their own environment and community.
• Native American nations are often a key support system for rural districts that serve large populations of indigenous students, providing needed resources, academic programming, and expertise in making summer learning culturally relevant.
• Local businesses and community members can offer a wealth of information on career pathways.
• Close-knit relationships and physical proximity help district leaders in rural communities coordinate with partners.

CHECK OUT THE FULL REPORT.