BOSTON — The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget signed this week by Governor Maura Healey includes critical funding for school-community partnerships during the summer months across the state, United Way of Massachusetts Bay announced today. The FY25 state budget includes funding for the Summer Step Up Program (SSUP) administered since 2021 by United Way of Massachusetts Bay and for the Commonwealth’s Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI). More than 30 organizations across the state signed on to support these important investments, which were championed through the budget process by Governor Healey and State Senator Jason Lewis.
“These two initiatives fund critical mixed-delivery pre-school programs and summer learning partnerships that are essential to providing a solid academic foundation for children,” said Daphne Principe-Griffin, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay. “They support communities in creating mixed delivery systems that meet families’ needs while prioritizing high quality care and programming. These vital educational programs are critical to the healthy social, emotional, and academic development of thousands of Massachusetts children, particularly those from families with low income.”
Among the key components of the FY25 state budget is the investment in summer learning opportunities through the Summer Step Up Program. Summer learning is critical to learning retention and was particularly vital throughout the many stages of the pandemic. According to a 2021 study from the Wallace Foundation, without summer learning opportunities, students lose on average three months of school-year learning over a summer. This learning loss is disproportionally felt by students from families with lower incomes, which is why SSUP’s model is built to ensure that summer learning programs are both affordable and accessible to families who would otherwise be unable to access the benefits that these collaborations bring.
In 2023, the Summer Step Up Program supported 1,756 young learners in Pre-K to Grade 3. SSUP builds summer programming collaboratively, cultivating innovative community collaborations with school districts and non-profit partners across 33 communities in Massachusetts. Since 2021, more than 6,100 students in programs funded through Summer Step Up. These programs provide an environment where children engage in academic enrichment activities, develop social skills, and build crucial life skills. Providers have also testified to the incredible impact that SSUP has on their programming.
Over the last three years, SSUP has strengthened summer learning experiences and community partnerships by investing $20,000,000 to create, extend, or enhance in-person summer learning opportunities. These investments have fortified and expanded school-community partnerships in the following communities: Attleboro, Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Hoosac Valley Regional, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Marshfield, North Adams, North Berkshire School Union, Northampton, Peabody, Randolph, Revere, Salem, Somerville, Southbridge, Southern Berkshire Regional School District, Springfield, Stoneham, Sturbridge, Taunton, Waltham, Winchendon, Winthrop, and Worcester.
###
About United Way of Massachusetts Bay
United Way of Massachusetts Bay exists to build more equitable communities, together. With over 85 years of local impact in eastern Massachusetts, we work with and for our communities to build economic prosperity and enable everyone–across races and ethnicities–to share in the knowledge, wealth and resources available. We believe that the key to unlocking opportunity is uniting people, and we bring together individuals, community leaders, corporate partners, legislators and organizations to build a powerful engine of change. Visit www.unitedwaymassbay.org for more information.
Media Contact: Brigid Boyd, Chief of Public Affairs, UWMB, bboyd@supportunitedway.org, 339.236.1161