Some districts adopt new concept in summer education - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS - It's not summer school, but school in the summer.

Educators describe the program as a post-school year education initiative. It is growing and getting results for IPS and thousands of other students. The concept is entirely different from typical summer school programs in many ways. 

We took a look Tuesday inside IPS 42.

Scholars, as they are called, get five weeks of full-day learning from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. It's voluntary.  Parents enroll their children and agree to participate.

Organizers say they hire the best teachers and principals. Each class has a college student assistant.

The morning is about the basics. There are rigorous lessons in reading, writing and math.
All of it is aimed at helping scholars catch up and get ahead.

The afternoons take the children in entirely different directions. The founder of Summer Advantage, Earl Martin Phalen, says it's learning perhaps disguised as fun.

"Having the academics in the morning, but then matching that in the afternoon with art, music soccer, drama, debate and then Friday field trips and service projects that our scholars look to and say 'I want to change this thing.'  All those things, that is not summer school, that is summer learning and frankly that is the best we want year round for children," said Phalen.

More school systems are adopting the Summer Advantage program. In three years enrollment has grown from 800 to 4,000 children spread across 14 different school communities.

Learn more about the program.