DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – North Texas children are expected to benefit from a donation made to the YMCA.
Humana Healthy Horizons has made a $150,000 donation to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas to support YMCA Learning Academies.
According to the YMCA, the donation is the largest the Y Learning Academy division has ever received and will allow Learning Academies to operate if needed in the Spring, and primarily will enable the YMCA to open multiple new Summer Learning Academies in 2021. The operation is expected to help bridge the learning gap that traditionally happens when school is out in the summer, made worse this year by the learning loss many children are facing due to the COVID pandemic.
“We are so grateful to Humana Healthy Horizons for this generous gift. Research shows that two-thirds of the income-based achievement gap is attributed to summer learning loss,” said Jodi Newman, School Age Services Executive Director, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. ” We already know there will be the traditional summer learning loss, but this year, the learning loss due to the COVID pandemic will be an added layer, making this summer program more crucial than ever before. The Dallas YMCA has been offering this type of academy for years – that’s why we were able to pivot to expand this service so quickly in March when the pandemic began. Through the gift from Humana Healthy Horizons, the YMCA will be able to expand how many children we serve, ensuring more than 150 kids will get the academic and mental health support they need throughout the summer months.”
According to Newman, key components to the success of the Learning Academies include pre and post testing and carefully crafted math and literacy lessons for morning sessions, led by credentialed teachers in the host district, along with parent engagement workshops.
Listen to Clayton Neville’s story below:
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