Fourth Annual Nike Summer Literacy Academy is in Full Swing

Nearly 400 elementary students are receiving extra instruction this summer as part of the Nike School Innovation Fund (NSIF) Summer Literacy Academy. In its fourth year, the Academy is a joint effort of the Hillsboro School District, the Hillsboro Schools Foundation and NSIF.

The 2010 NSIF Summer Literacy Academy is designed to provide a variety of engaging literacy activities for students – through a combination of large- and small-group instruction. This year the program runs from July 19 - August 12, and  is serving incoming second- and third-graders who received teacher recommendations. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Minter Bridge Elementary School. This year, students are benefiting from added instructional support of Century and Liberty high school students who are volunteering on a daily basis. In turn, the high school students receive community-service credit for their time. The extra support has allowed staff to provide more one-on-one instruction for individual students.

“The small-group instruction builds student confidence,” Program Administrator Kimberly Miles said. “It provides the opportunity for all students to shine and proudly express their knowledge among their peers and teachers.”

The Academy is designed to expand students’ literacy skills and prepare them with a strong foundation to begin the new school year. An evaluation of last year’s program resulted in increased literacy scores for 71 percent of kindergartners and 86 percent of first graders who completed the program. Parents were extremely supportive, saying their children were eager to attend class and were reading during the summer.

NSIF is providing $110,000 in grant funding to this year’s summer literacy academy.  Over the last four years, the NSIF has provided $1 million in grants to the Hillsboro School District for this and other academic programs.“We’re glad to be able to help our local school district with innovative efforts such as the summer literacy academy,” said Jamie Jeffries, Nike’s VP/GM of Nike Sportswear. Jeffries and her team have been assisting with leadership development programs also funded by the Nike School Innovation Fund. “This has been a great opportunity to share ideas and experiences between school leaders and Nike leaders.”