Come hear the story about how four different education institutions in Rochester, NY - an independent K-12 school, a university, a community college, and a small, private college - joined forces through a summer learning program to support K-8 public school students in their community. We will share how this innovative partnership evolved, the diverse reasons for which each institution entered the partnership, the unexpected synergies that have developed, and how this model is being replicated throughout the nation.

2. The National Picture
Achievement Gap
• 23 million low-income students
• On average, begin Kindergarten 6 months behind
• Gap grows to 2.5 years by fifth grade
• 1.2 million students drop out of high school per school year
• More than half are from minority groups
• Low-income students 6x more likely to drop out1
1U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2006

3. “We cannot afford to spend nearly
10 months of every year devoting
enormous amounts of intellect,
energy and money to promoting
student learning and achievement,
and then walk away from that
The National Picture
investment every summer.”
Jeff Smink, National Summer
Summer Learning Loss
Learning Association
Over half of the ninth-grade achievement gap
between lower and higher income youth can be
explained by unequal access to summer learning
opportunities during the elementary school years1
1Alexander et al. 2007.

4. Horizons Closes the Gaps
• Award-winning, high-quality summer learning programs
• Low-income public school students
• Independent school and college partners
• Provides opportunity to learn new academic, social and life skills

5. The Horizons Approach
• 9-year commitment beginning in Kindergarten
• Students with broad range of academic abilities
• Six-week summer session with additional year-round support
• Project-based learning
• Professional teachers, 5 to 1 student teacher ratio
• Swimming!

6. Horizons’ Impact
• Reverses effects of summer slide
• Two to three month gain in reading and math skills
• Students, staff retention for 6 years on average
• Creates love of learning and increased engagement
• Improved high school graduation and college matriculation

7. Horizons Expansion Efforts

8. Expansion Challenges
• Limited number of schools
• Limit to the number of students at each school
• Dependence on private philanthropy

9. Horizons at Harley

10. Horizons at Harley Strategic Goals
Program Program
Quality & Financial
Effectiveness Sustainability
Connections
With Other
Programs

11. Contributions to Community
• The Horizons Community has invested over $2M and
thousands of hours of volunteer support to make all this
possible
• Horizons at Harley is a powerful force for good in Rochester
and serves as an example for other communities

12. Community Involvement Strategies
Engaging community partners to
enhance Horizons at Harley and to
further summer learning

13. Horizons at Harley /
Community Involvement
Strategies
Rochester, NY
Public /
Gov.
Sector
Non – Horizons
Profit Corporate
At Sector
Sector Harley
Universities
& Colleges

14. Community Involvement Strategies
Universities & Colleges
• U of R Get Real Science Program
• SUNY Geneseo Literacy Clinic
• Graduate level Social Work Interns
• Marketing and Administrative Interns
• Student Teachers
• College and Career Field Trips
• New affiliate sites (U of R, MCC, Nazareth)

15. Community Involvement Strategies
Public /Gov. Sector
• NYS / ED Summer Food Program ($24,000 reimbursement in 2010)
• Rochester City School District (busing, recruiting of students, student
academic tracking, information sharing)
• City of Rochester Department of Youth Services and Recreation
(extended day programming)
• Charter Schools (Character Development Curriculum, recruiting of
students)

16. Community Involvement Strategies
Non-profit Sector
• Foodlink and Rochester Roots
• Latino Rotary (volunteers, books)
• Greater Rochester Literacy Commission
• United Way & RACF (funding, training)
• Children’s Institute (Data tracking and management & meeting space)
• The Ad Council (marketing plan, professional volunteers)
• Harley School (Board members, specialty teachers)

17. Community Involvement Strategies
Corporate Partnerships
• Funding (Canandaigua National Bank)
• Board Members and Volunteers
• Sponsorships (Go-kart build / STEM, Financial Literacy)
• Training space
• Sponsor the Annual Horizons Garden Party

18. The Challenge
• Rochester and the Nation face a crisis in public education often
referred to as the Achievement Gap
• In Rochester, 84% of RCSD students are on the free or reduced cost
lunch program. Fewer that 50% graduate from high school on time.
Fewer than 6% are deemed ready to go on to higher education (NYS
Board of Regents College Readiness Data 6/19/11).
• Research demonstrates that approximately 2/3rds of the achievement
gap is directly attributable to summer learning loss.

19. Background
• In 2008, Horizons at Harley reached out to other independent schools,
public schools and colleges and universities in the area.
• During summer 2009 and 2010, a number of leaders (presidents,
deans, faculty members) from these educational institutions visited
Harley to see Horizons in action.
• Joe and Nancy Briggs, David and Shirley Kearns, and the Marie C.
and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation stepped forward to contribute a total
of $400,000 to initiate new summer learning programs in Rochester.
• In July of 2011, the Greater Rochester Summer Learning
Association was formed with eight member institutions.

20. Greater Rochester Summer Learning
Association
The mission of the Greater Rochester Summer Learning
Association (GRSLA) is to promote the development of
sustainable, high-quality summer learning programs for
low-income children in Rochester and in the Greater
Rochester area.

21. Sustainable Funding Sources

23. Monroe Community College
Significance Horizons to MCC
• Locally
• Nationally

24. Monroe Community College
Resources Unique to
• Higher Education
• Community Colleges

25. Monroe Community College
Institutional Support
• Pilot
• Moving forward