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Baker Pledges $70 Million for Summer Education Programs

By TWIW Staff | April 30, 2021
Last Updated: June 23, 2023

Governor Charlie Baker’s office announced on Friday, April 30, $70 million in funding for school districts and community organizations to offer summer learning and recreational programs. Students at all levels can take part in academic and recreational programs offered at schools, after-school providers, community colleges and recreation sites.

The funding is aimed at helping student academic and social development after a a year of remote and hybrid learning.

Acceleration Academies – $25 Million

Baker also announced the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [DESE] will help school districts launch Acceleration Academies. This program allows students to learn and build skills working intensively on one subject in small, hands-on learning environments.

Baker said his office will commit up to $25 million in grants for districts to operate Acceleration Academies using federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Response [ESSER] discretionary funds.

DESE expects the program to impact over 50,000 students statewide each year and the program to span multiple years.

Summer School Matching Grants – $15 million

DESE will also offer up to $15 million in summer school matching grants for school districts to offer 4-to-6-week, in-person programs with a mix of in-person academic and recreational activities., The funding also comes from federal ESSER funds.

Summer Acceleration to College – $1 Million

Class of 2021 High School graduates can take part in the Summer Acceleration to College program. This program provides recent graduates access to credit-bearing math and English courses at no cost to them as they prepare for college.

Summer Step Up – $10 million

The Department of Early Education and Care [EEC] will allocate up to $10 million to support school districts to launch Summer Step Up

The program aims at giving extra support to young learners entering school in the fall.

Additional Funding

  • Literacy tutoring grants for summer and during the 2021-22 school year, funded at $10 million.
  • A new K-8 Math Acceleration program to help teachers increase student learning over the summer and throughout the school year.
  • Expand the Biggest Winner Math Challenge – which was piloted last summer – to serve approximately 2,500 gifted math students, costing approximately $2.5 million.
  • College courses offered over the summer for rising high school juniors and seniors who enroll in approved Early College programs, costing approximately $1 million.
  • Camps and community organizations assistance to expand educational enrichment as part of their existing summer programs by making at least $3 million in funding available.

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