Summer Programs Keep Youth Engaged and Help Avoid Learning Loss
We know that not all youth have the same opportunities for learning and enrichment, which can lead to summer learning loss and further contribute to the achievement gap.
Our summer curriculum is an intentional part of our continuum of academic enrichment and social emotional development programs for girls and gender-expansive youth that fosters community, encourages positive risk-taking, and exposes youth to new resources, opportunities and social capital.
Concordia Park in East Oakland
Our Concordia Park site in East Oakland hosts our 1st-7th grade participants during the summer and is critical to maintaining academic goals and engaging youth in STEM activities, while also exposing them to new interests through intentional curricula and field trips. Field trips all follow similar formulas that maximize participants’ exposure and learning that include facility tours, panel discussions and Q&A opportunities with minority women leaders, key, age-appropriate learning activities and closing reflections. In their first two weeks of programming, students have already visited Denali Therapeutics, Simpson Strong-Tie, Benefit Cosmetics, Arup Sustainable Development Consultancy, Chabot Space and Science Center, The Tech Interactive and more!
Field trips often spark interest in attendees that can lead to future internship opportunities and subsequent college and career decisions.
Eureka! at Cal State East Bay
Our rising 8th and 9th grade Eureka! participants attend summer programming at Cal State East Bay, utilizing top-of-the line amenities like the campus sports and pool complexes, science labs and classrooms. Many students experience a lot of firsts here, including participating in science experiments like dissecting fish and activities like learning to swim! Experiencing daily life in a university setting also allows our girls to envision similar things for their own futures and can help alleviate any doubts or fears around navigating college campuses.
Summer Leadership Institute: Youth for Health & Justice
The Summer Leadership Institute is for high school girl-identified youth looking to be a part of the movement for equity and respect for all. Teens are learning about the movement to ensure a future where everyone has access to quality healthcare with a focus on reproductive health inequities in our communities and country. They are gaining the knowledge and tools to become powerful advocates for themselves and their loved ones, learning their reproductive health rights as young people and exploring the gaps that exist in our country that result in women, girls, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals lacking full access to the health services they deserve. At the end of the program, they will be working together on a project focused on raising awareness for others about the importance of reproductive health.
Internships
Our 10th and 11th grade girls have internships with placements among several businesses in the community including Rakuten, FORRELL | ELSESSER Structural Engineers, Girls Inc. of Alameda County and more! A special thank you to Rakuten for hosting six interns this summer in roles ranging from their creative team, email operations, product design, product strategy, and events.
Internships are amazing opportunities for girls to gain real world working experience, professional development, personal growth, business connections, and social capital as they explore areas of interest, and they often factor into participants’ future college and career decisions.
