BOSTON - More than 50 community organizations across the Commonwealth provided support for nearly 1,500 elementary school students this summer as part of the statewide Summer Step Up Program. The initiative combines learning opportunities with camp and recreation to provide Massachusetts families with a full day of summer programming. Administered by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay since 2021, the Summer Step Up Program addresses learning loss associated with the pandemic and eases the transition to in-person learning with a strong focus on social emotional learning.

“It is wonderful to see the continued success of Summer Step Up, which we are proud to partner on with the United Way and our schools and community providers. This innovative program provides our young learners with the critical academic and social-emotional supports they need to prevent summer learning loss and prepare them for a successful transition back to school in the fall,” said Amy Kershaw, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

This year, Summer Step Up programs operated in 30 communities and school districts across the Commonwealth, including; Attleboro, Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Hoosac Valley Regional District, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Marshfield, North Adams, Northampton, North Berkshire School Union District, Peabody, Randolph, Revere, Salem, Somerville, Southbridge, Southern Berkshire Regional School District, Springfield, Stoneham, Sturbridge, Taunton, Waltham, Winthrop, and Worcester.

With the support of more than 30 organizations across the state, and championed by Governor Healey and State Senator Jason Lewis, the Commonwealth’s approved FY25 state budget provides for continued funding for this program next summer.

“The Summer Step Up Program funds critical summer learning partnerships that are essential to providing a solid academic foundation for our youngest learners,” said Daphne Principe-Griffin, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay. “These partnerships support communities in creating summer experiences that meet families' needs while prioritizing high quality care and programming. This continuous and reliable summer programming is critical to the social, emotional, and academic development of thousands of Massachusetts children.”

Summer learning 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 disproportionately felt by students from families with lower incomes, which is why Summer Step Up’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.

Over the last three years, the Summer Step Up Program has strengthened summer learning experiences and community partnerships by investing $20,000,000 to create, extend, or enhance in-person summer learning opportunities for over 6,000 students. In 2023, the Summer Step Up Program supported 1,756 young learners in Pre-K to Grade 3 across 33 Massachusetts communities.

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About the 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.