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A Valdosta-based nonprofit program that helps students avoid "summer slide" may have to cut enrollment by more than half unless it raises between $15,000-$25,000 before its June 8 start date.
Community Action of Georgia's "Together We Learn: Bridging the Gap" program has served students across Valdosta and surrounding counties since 2018, offering summer enrichment focused on reading, math, STEM activities, three free meals and hands-on learning experiences.
But this year, organizers say rising costs and limited nonprofit funding could force them to dramatically scale back enrollment.
Instead of serving several dozen students like previous summers, program leaders say they may only be able to accommodate around 20 students unless more donations come in.
Program Director Carlos Hundley says the mission is about preventing what educators often call the "summer slide."
"Because over the summer months it has been shown that students tend to lose at least two months of mathematics and even more of reading or literacy during the summer months, and they call it the proverbial 'summer slide,' summer learning loss. And so we try to prevent that through our enrichment program, Together We Learn: Bridging the Gap."
Hundley says the impact goes far beyond academics, especially for working families searching for safe, structured environments during the day.
"When they're a part of programs like Together We Learn: Bridging the Gap, they're not left home latchkey, unsupervised… they have a structured, supervised, caring environment and atmosphere of adults who are going to look after them and make sure they get the learning concepts that they need."
Program leaders say they are still working toward their fundraising goal ahead of the program's anticipated June 8 start date.
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