What is Summer Quest?

The NYC Summer Quest program is the Department of Education's project-based summer learning program which aims to balance fun and learning for students who may otherwise not have these opportunities during the non-school months.  It is designed to prevent students from losing academic ground during the summer.  Studies have shown that students exhibit an academic regression, known as the "summer slide", during the summer months when they are not attending school.  During this time students may fall back or regress the equivalent of two school months (or more).  Studies have also shown that this is less likely to happen to students who are occupied in summer learning, making them more likely to retain the academic progress made during the previous school year.   

The Summer Quest program is different from regular summer school because it does not only enroll the most struggling students who have failed the state exams in math and reading.  It also enrolls students who may be struggling but have already passed the state exams.  The goal is for these students to participate in summer learning that will make them better prepared for the coming school year. The hope is that if they are better prepared they will make larger academic gains coming into the new school year.  

The Summer Quest program is part of Chancellor Dennis Walcott's plan to focus on Middle Schools and is in its second year as a pilot program in Bronx Schools.  This year the program included 1,8000 students at 11 South Bronx schools and once again partnered with a variety of community-based organizations including the Hive NYC Learning Network.  These partnerships provided staff and support during Summer Quest's five week/nine hour a day program.  The program provided students with Common Core aligned instruction and a wide variety of engaging enrichment activities that included sports and recreation, music and dance, scientific explorations, digital and web-based projects and a wide variety of field trips.  Summer Quest combined learning and FUN for students who needed it most this summer!

NYC Schools' Chancellor Dennis Walcott stopped by to check-out our work during 

the Summer Quest Maker Party  at the Bronx Library Center on August 1st, 2013

You can follow the links below to learn more about the Summer Quest 

schools we worked with this summer.

Wingspan Arts

Oasis Day Camp at IS313