Policy
As the national leader on summer learning and its role in education reform, NSLA tracks and responds to policy issues that affect summer opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels, with the goal of ensuring high-quality summer learning opportunities reach as many children and youth as possible, especially those most in need.
Working hand-in-hand with coalition partners, policymakers, and local advocates, NSLA provides expertise, tools and resources on a number of policy issues that include 21st Century Community Learning Centers, summer meals, community service and service learning, STEM education, and funding opportunities for summer programs. NSLA’s policy priorities focus on sustainability of summer initiatives, fostering partnerships, and improving quality for programs serving youth from pre-kindergarten through higher education and into the workforce.
How the Debt Ceiling Deal Impacts Education Funding
2022 State of Summer Learning: State Policy Overview
Receive monthly updates on federal and state policy news affecting summer opportunities, action alerts, and coalition activities.
Research
Since its inception, NSLA has led a national movement to increase and promote the knowledge base about effective summer learning approaches. NSLA partners with researchers around the country to investigate the disparities faced by low-income youth during the summer months, the effects of these disparities, and the solutions that reverse summer learning loss. Together with research partners, NSLA develops ideas and resources for the summer learning research community, fosters collaboration between researchers, communities, and practitioners in the field; and promotes new knowledge to education stakeholders.
2002 Youth Perspectives On Engagement and Resilience: A Representative Study on Summer Learning