06/11/2019
What are you doing to help children this summer?
A CALL TO ACTION:
This Summer, Let's Do Our Part to Support Disadvantaged Children...
Perhaps one of the most challenging times that children who live in economically fragile conditions face is the period between the last day of one school year and the first day of the next. For it is during this break that the academic gains they achieved during the year begin to recede dramatically, and the guaranteed meals they enjoy each day, which are now no longer available, that the issue of stress, anxiety and creeping insecurity tend to impact them the most; after having endured a battery of tests, countless lessons and measurable academic gains. As a result, OUR children are left to languish on the margins of decline and desperation while those of us with the means to do something about it continue to presume that "the powers that be" will swoop down like Superman and miraculously save the day (which they won't). But it doesn't have to be that way.
According to the National Education Association, between the third and eighth grades, demonstrable learning loss is clearly observed in both math and reading in each summer term. On average, many disadvantaged students lose two months of academic gains over the summer, erasing much of the progress that was made throughout the school year. In fact, the problem of academic regression is so pervasive in most of our nation's schools that the first six weeks of each new school year is spent re-teaching old material to make up for "summer loss". Moreover, by the end of the sixth grade, students who have experienced summer loss are an average of two years behind their peers. We can, and MUST, do MORE!
So... here's how you can do YOUR part to change the narrative and make a difference in the lives of those who need it most:
Tips to Combat "Summer Loss"
1. Take a trip with your children (and those in the neighborhood) to your local library. Remember: Reading Is FUNdamental!
2. Bring a book with you to the park or the beach. Incorporating learning opportunities into family events is a great way for children to stay engaged academically while still having fun.
3. Develop a summer reading list of their favorite books. Read a chapter in the morning, when your child is used to learning and before other plans cause distraction.
Finally, as summer swings into high gear, never forget that there are children who, through no fault of their own, will go to bed hungry each night because of a lack of resources and food insecurity. In fact, when the gates are ultimately shuttered in American schools during the summer, more than 22 million children will go hungry, missing one to two meals each day that would typically be provided to them through the National School Lunch Program. Moreover, research has shown us that children who miss breakfast and lunch are more likely to be sick, inattentive and disruptive when they return to the classroom. As citizens of the wealthiest country on the planet, this is truly unacceptable.
Here are three action steps you can take to fight "Summer Hunger" for children in our community:
Tips to Combat "Summer Hunger"
1. Summer is a time of increased anxiety and economic strain. For some children, summer is a time of joy and freedom. For the 22 million children that participate in the National School Lunch program, however, summer can be a time of hunger and anxiety as the two meals they enjoyed each school day is oftentimes replaced with empty plates or unhealthy food options that are oftentimes never enough. If you know of school aged children who may be going hungry this summer, please consider buying a little something extra for them and their families the next time you are at the grocery store. If you can't do that, then help them connect with the social service agencies and organizations serving your city so that no child goes to bed on an empty stomach.
2. Summer hunger has long-term consequences. A lack of reliable nutrition during the summer months takes a major toll on children. Kids who struggle with hunger are more likely to experience "summer slide", forgetting what they learned and starting the next school year months behind their more affluent peers. Furthermore, kids who struggle with hunger are more likely to experience long-term health consequences, like iron deficiency, anemia, asthma, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. You can do your part by connecting needy families to their local summer feeding programs by simply texting the word "FOOD to 877-877 or by visiting www.SummerBreakspot.org
3. Call upon YOUR elected officials to do something to support these needy children. Congress is currently considering improvements to the summer meals program through child nutrition reauthorization. We must urge our lawmakers to stand up for kids and pass a strong bill that supports and strengthens existing summer meals sites through policies that make it easier for states to reach low-income children. For example, where it makes sense, states should have the option to provide low-income families with a grocery store credit during the summer months to purchase nutritious foods, a model that has been proven to reduce the most severe forms of childhood hunger by up to one-third. In other circumstances, when accessing a summer meal site is difficult or impossible for children, states should have the option to deliver meals or allow children to leave a site with a meal for later.
This summer, our children are depending on us to advocate for them on the issues that matter most. "If not YOU... then WHO. If not NOW... then WHEN?"
