Miami-Dade’s summer school will be 10 times larger this year to combat the COVID slide

Nationwide, millions of students have fallen behind academically during an unprecedented year that pulled them from their everyday school routine.

To remedy that in Miami-Dade County, the school district is launching Summer 305: A smorgasbord of summer programs and camps, both physical and virtual, free of charge for students in Pre-K through 12th grade. The goal is to mitigate learning loss and accelerate learning recovery.

In past years, about 5,000 to 6,000 students would participate in the district’s summer learning programs, said Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. This year, the district is targeting 65,000 students, or a quarter of its enrollment in traditional public schools.

To make it happen, the district is committing $50 million from federal stimulus funding and other federal grants to hire staff. The district is also partnering with The Children’s Trust to put on 302 camps. Carvalho urged parents to send their children in physically.

“We want and need, and need for the sake of our students, parents to gravitate to our offerings this summer,” Carvalho said. “We have a golden opportunity during this time, a federal investment for us to leverage and augment these opportunities.”

The district is opening 179 schools (though that list isn’t public yet) to host 18 programs. Before and after care, plus extended care that runs until 6 p.m., is available for a fee at elementary and K-8 school sites. Program fee subsidies will be offered via the Early Learning Coalition for those who qualify.

Transportation will be offered for all students as will free breakfast and lunch available in grab-and-go containers. COVID-19 protocols will be in place, including mandatory masks, social distancing and hand washing.

Counselors will be staffed at all open school sites and can render services in person or virtually. Mental health services will be provided to any student in need throughout the summer, either face to face or virtually.

The district will be tracking the learning data of those who participate in its summer camps and those who don’t going into next school year. Officials on Wednesday said registration may be ready by the end of April or early May.

“We have a lot riding on this promise and it’s a promise and a premise based on need,” Carvalho said. “This is our way of, quite frankly, kickstarting the 21-22 school year.”

Elementary school camps

• Smart Start Elementary Camps have hands-on science, technology, math, arts and science investigations and challenges, bolster math and reading foundations and touch on social-emotional learning. There are offerings for students with special needs and students who are learning English. The camps run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m., June 28 to July 30.
• Foreign Language Immersion Camps teach Spanish and focus on language through expression. These camps run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., June 28 to July 30.
• Summer Reading Camps are statutorily required annual summer camps for retained third graders. This year, third-grade students who have experienced significant learning loss are invited to focus on their reading skills. The camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m., June 28 to July 30.
  
  

• Adventure Backpack Program is for students in PreK through third grade. Students will receive a free, take-home backpack filled with activities to prepare them for the next school year. Parent webinars will also be available. Backpack distribution week of June 1. This is a virtual learning option.

Middle school camps

• Smart Start Teen Summer Camps are interdisciplinary and project-based. They offer four classes: “Finding Your Voice to Shape the World Around You,” “Going Global,” “STEM Up!” and “Time to Explore.” They include art, music and outdoor fun. The camps run from from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 28 to July 30.
  
  

• Middle School Course Recovery offers recovery of up to two core courses. Students who need to recover more than two courses can enroll in an intensive two-week session in school and online through the district’s secondary student Success Centers. The camps run from from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 28 to July 30.

• Career and Technical Education Summer Program concludes with an expo where students pitch entrepreneurial ideas. Session 1 runs form June 14 to July 1 and Session 2 runs from July 5 to July 23.

• Speak Up! summer camp is a six-day virtual creative writing camp featuring master classes and workshops with best-selling authors, poets and fiction writers. Sponsored by the Miami Book Fair and Miami-Dade College, the camp runs from July 26 to July 1. The morning session runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and the afternoon session runs from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

High School camps

• High School Credit Recovery allows high school students to recover up to two core courses. The recovery provides 3.5 hours of a course per day. The camp runs from June 14 to July 30. Session 1 is from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Session 2 runs from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Credit recovery is available virtually and physically.
• The Miami Book Fair’s Speak Up! summer camp is available for grades 9-10. It is a six-day virtual creative writing camp featuring master classes and workshops with authors, poets and fiction writers. The camp runs from July 26 to July 1. The morning session runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon and the afternoon session goes from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• The Summer Youth Internship Program offers 2,000 students real-world, hands-on experience and professional connections. Internship experiences are linked to students’ career interests. The program runs from July 1 to August 5.

• Career and Technical Education Summer Programs

  • Entrepreneurship education training program

  • Future Banker’s Camp for students in finance academies. Students take a two-week American Bankers Association certification program at Miami Dade College.

  • A Coding Camp targeting girls. The two-week virtual camp teaches computer science skills and features three sessions. It is sponsored by Twitter, AT&T and Bank of America.

  • Cyber Camp that includes an introduction to cybersecurity for rising 11th and 12th graders.

• Dual enrollment in partnership with Miami Dade College and Florida International University

• Algebra 1 End of Course Prep is recommended for students who haven’t passed or taken the end-of-course exam but have passed the Algebra 1 course. This program is available all summer online.

• ACT/SAT Prep lessons are available via the student portal and recommended for all high school students. This program is available all summer online.