The Challenge

Horizons at Warner is on pause and not being offered at this time

The Challenge

Gaps of Opportunity, Resources, and Achievement

Today’s students from marginalized communities are forced to deal with gaps of opportunity, resources, and achievement. Given the current state of the City of Rochester with 54% of children in Monroe County living in poverty and 99% of Rochester City School District children qualifying for free lunch, the City of Rochester ranks in the nation’s top three mid-size cities in poverty. This makes it much more difficult for students from the Rochester City School District to obtain experiences that support their success and achievement in high school, college, and the workforce.

Summer Learning Loss

Research demonstrates that students, especially from 3rd to 8th grade, the age-range at the core of our program, naturally lose anywhere from 20-50% of the math and reading skills that they learn during the school year over the two months of summer vacation. This phenomenon is called summer learning loss, and it is one of the primary causes of the persistent academic achievement gap that exists for the student population we serve. We are able to combat this challenge by providing students with outstanding staff, curriculum, and enrichment opportunities for six weeks out of their summer. Without programs like Horizons, low-income students experience a substantial and cumulative erosion of reading and math skills that can ultimately leave them years behind their peers. Horizons at Warner has become a valuable asset in providing an extended school year opportunity to students who would not otherwise have this opportunity for enrichment.

Our program is determined to provide what increased funding in education, summer school, and recreation programs have not been able to, which is are quality academic experiences that enrich a student’s life over the course of consecutive summers. We believe in fostering strong relationships through the development and impact of a curriculum deeply rooted in best practices and educational research at the Warner School of Education.

“What makes Horizons unique is that we are in it for the long term, staying engaged with students and families year after year.” ~Jane Stoddard Williams, Horizons National Board Chair