Our Dreamers don’t only dream big during the school year, but also during the summer! IHADLA hosts a summer enrichment program every year, during which Dreamers from all program sites can meet Monday through Thursday and take supplementary courses in English and math. This summer, our soon to be 8^th and 9^th graders were able to meet at Frank D. Parent School in Inglewood, where a special component of the English class has been assignments geared toward career readiness. They have learned skills such as how to write resumes and cover letters for future prospective employers. Our summer program is setting our Dreamers up for the real world!

During the summer program, our Dreamers get the inside scoop on all of the things that they will be learning in the upcoming school year, making them extra prepared for their academic journeys! In addition to these regular classes in English and math, Dreamers in the summer program also have an hour and a half each day to learn science or art and some free time to get outside for fresh air and play sports such as basketball.

Our summer program, free for our Dreamers, is a powerful tool not just for the above mentioned reasons, but also due to the fact that the summer teachers we employ for our 8^th and 9^th grade students come from the local high schools that some of our Dreamers will soon be attending; this early introduction is one more way in which our program prepares Dreamers for the coming academic year. Aeron, one of our 8^th grade Dreamers, shared with us that he loves the summer program because “it will help him learn things early before the school year starts.” He aspires to be a neurosurgeon or neurologist!

Dreamers pictured from left to right; Aeron, Taylor, Dyann, and Colby

Cursta McCullom, Program Assistant at P17 in Inglewood, has spent the last few weeks helping with the summer program. Cursta’s favorite part about being a program assistant is getting to know the kids and all of their personalities, challenging them to see and realize their potential. She stated, “I love when the students have that moment where they realize they are actually smarter and more creative than they thought they were.” Cursta McCullom

In addition to the supplementary education the Dreamers receive throughout the week, every Friday the Dreamers go on fun filled field trips! Keep on the lookout for next week’s post, where we follow our Dreamers’ summer adventures to Knott’s Soak City!