For many students, the number one question they get after
returning to school is: “What did you do
this summer?”

Some students share stories of their action-packed family
adventures, laid-back summer retreats, or opportunities spending time with
family and friends. Others recount stories of a summer infused with academic
explorations and virtual learning. At least, that’s the story for many
participants in K12’s Strong Start Summer Fun program.

The program, which kicked off in July, exposes newly
enrolled and returning K12-powered students to their online school community
before the school year even starts. It includes fun and engaging course content
for students across all grade levels.

For newly enrolled students, the Strong Start program helps
create a smooth transition into the world of online learning. Students can
familiarize themselves with the platform prior to the start of the school year,
giving them a better chance at navigating the online system. 

“By introducing the students to the resources their school
has to offer, it builds a sense of excitement as they return to school,” said
Elena Tatarov, Senior Program Manager of School Services.

Tatarov added that the program’s mission is clear: to
address the impact of “summer slide,” and also lower the no-show rate in
schools and reduce the likelihood of student disengagement.

Recent studies from the Brookings
Institution found that “on average, students’ achievement scores declined
over summer vacation by one month’s worth of school-year learning.”

This data shows how important it is for parents to consider
how productive of a summer their student is having. Something as simple as
devoting some time each day to catching up on material learned throughout the
school year puts them ahead of the class and reinforces the skills they’ve
already learned, experts
say.

So, the introduction of the Strong Start program this year
comes at an important time.

What’s capturing the attention of so many students and
parents is that this optional summer enrichment combines interactive, virtual
challenges and games with learning.

“We wanted the challenges to engage, educate, and give our
students opportunities to make something,” said Kristin Morrison, VP of Design
and User Experience. “For example, one of the challenges is creating a vision
board. It’s the combination of these elements that makes summer fun!”

K12’s product development team created multiple courses for
this summer’s initiative:

• The
  Summer Strong Start Course – Stride Math and Stride English Language Arts (ELA)
  games is available to students in kindergarten to sixth grade. Students
  have the opportunity to participate in Stride Math and Stride ELA games, like
  Space Coaster, Koofu’s Quest, and Stride Academy.
   
• The Summer
  Reading Challenge is for those in kindergarten to fifth grade. Students are
  given access to K12’s Digital Literacy Solutions, using the Big Universe
  Digital Library platform, which includes a wide collection of 15,000 books to
  choose from.
   
• For those in grades 6-12, the Summer Strong Start Courses presents
  students with challenges that foster creativity and healthy habits for their
  overall well-being. Students can also engage in discussion board conversations,
  which allows them to share what they’ve learned.
   
• Strong
  Start Inspiration was designed to inspire students through videos of people
  sharing stories of how they got to where they are today.

This summer’s initiative saw a significant number of
participants signing in each day to engage in challenges and interact with each
other through discussion boards. The program received positive feedback and
reviews from both parents and students alike.

One mother commented, “What a great idea! I’ve never seenmy sonso excited about school. It’s a much needed change. We appreciate
it.”

Moving forward, the program expects to see a growth in
participation. In addition, more virtual games and challenges will be added to
spark innovation in many young minds.