NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Public Schools launched their largest summer program ever on Monday. More than 15,000 students will participate in the Promising Scholars summer program.
This will be a chance for students to get caught up academically before the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
A Metro Schools spokesperson says the new Promising Scholars summer program offers students who signed up a fun, free and academically enriching experience. Each summer camp will offer a mix of classroom learning – science, technology, art activities, physical activity and more.
The program is being offered to rising kindergarteners through 8th-graders and a half-day for rising 9th- through 12th-graders.
At Cole Elementary School, 340 students, and teacher said it was exciting to welcome many of them back to the school. For students who been doing remote learning, this marked their first time in the building in over a year.
"We love seeing them on screen, and we are thankful for that," said Lauren Binkley, the Promising Scholars Lead Teacher at Cole Elementary. "It's good to have them back in the building and see their eyes, smiles and faces."
The district’s Coordinator for Extended Learning Makeda Watson says the program will allow students to continue to grow and be challenged academically.
“This will be fun and engaging. It will not look how you might consider summer school or summer programming in the past, this will be an opportunity for them to work on some skills but then also participate in some hands-on activities, and physical activity and then also receiving support from our partners,” said Watson.
Watson added, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the summer program can help students recover from learning loss, or focus on areas where they need additional help. Classroom work is not graded, and students have a chance to learn in a relaxed atmosphere.
"We really wanted to make sure that we are meeting the needs of our students and families, and continuing to grow and challenge them academically and provide the support they needed," said Watson.
The deadline to sign up for the program has passed, but high school students have until the end of the week to sign up for credit recovery. Meals and buses will be provided to students in the summer program, too.
For more information visit: https://mnps.org/students-families/services/before-and-after-care/summer_programs
