Summer Collaborative 2020
The unprecedented events of 2020 led to collaboration, innovation, and creative problem-solving ensuring that families in the Rochester area would have safe, high quality summer learning opportunities. Unfortunately, early in the spring of 2020, we knew that hosting our seventh iteration of Brockport Summer Learning at the SUNY Brockport campus would not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however we were able to co-create solutions with eight area programs as members of the Summer Collaborative. Directors of area programs met to establish shared goals, resource management, and most importantly, a common mission to meet the needs of area students and families.
Students received weekly deliveries of project-based learning materials and supplies along with healthy meals for the six weeks of the program. They met online with certified teachers for daily lessons and enrichment activities such as art, health and wellness, music, as well as social time to connect with adults and peers.
Our Principles
As a result, The Summer Collaborative served over 640 students and families collectively amidst the crisis. All programs maintained the 7 Principles of High Quality Summer Learning and utilized best practices such as low teacher to student ratio, individualized instruction, hands-on inquiry learning, and an emphasis on socio-emotional competencies. Connections with families were maintained through weekly home visits, daily communication, and social media posts.
SUNY Brockport was able to maintain its individual hallmarks while working in the Collaborative. We preserved our commitment to integrated arts and a literacy focus along with building a program-wide community through our Community Gatherings. Community Gatherings allowed students to see friends in different grade levels and brought everyone together as if we were an in-person program.
Our Impact
Brockport Summer Learning at SUNY Brockport served 49 students from 37 families, and all of our grade level teachers were returning staff. We strive to recruit and retain Brockport alumni in order to maintain consistency with family engagement and extend professional development for in-service teachers. For a staff of 12, we had eight Brockport alumni and one graduate assistant work in our program. We are grateful to the SUNY Brockport community, funders, and supporters for their ongoing commitment to ensure that students, families, and teachers in the Rochester area have these kinds of meaningful opportunities.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Total Students: 644
- Numbers of Families Served: 502
- Total Programs: 8
- Counties Impacted: 3 (Monroe, Livingstone, Stueben)
- Full-time Staff: 33
- Part-time Staff: 67
- Face-to-face Visits with Families: 3,172
- Meal Boxes Delivered: 2,642 (Over 16,000 individual meals)
- Project Based Learning Bags Delivered: 3,464
- Text Message Contact with Families: 4,838
- Phone Call Contact with Families: 1,952
- Screen-to-screen Sessions Attended: 4,308
- Enrichment Screen-to-screen Sessions Attended: 330