When school doors close for the summer, many young people and their families lose access to critical support that keeps them safe, healthy, and engaged. This summer “opportunity gap” contributes to breaks in achievement and college and career success, particularly for low-income students.
President Obama announced his Administration’s plan to support young people across the country during the summer, and is launching a new initiative, "Summer Opportunity AmeriCorps", to build on existing national service programs that address this summer gap. This program will help young people, including high school students, who serve their communities earn money for college.
Summer Opportunity AmeriCorps recognizes the potential of all youth to contribute in meaningful ways to communities across the country through volunteer service.
Specifically, they are committing up to $15 million over the next three years in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards. The program will help youth learn critical skills, such as project management and teamwork. And, in return, they may earn money to help them advance their education.
This project builds on the President’s initiative to enable strong transitions from school year to school year and from high school to college and careers by bringing together state and local leaders, community-based organizations, private sector and philanthropic leaders, schools, and other youth-serving agencies.
Background on Program: AmeriCorps is collaborating with the National Summer Learning Association, a national organization exclusively focused on closing the achievement gap by increasing access to high-quality summer learning opportunities to young people, and other organizations to develop a program model that aims to engage mayors, nonprofits, and other partners to create summer opportunities for up to 20,000 individuals during the next three years.
