Sunday, January 05, 2025, 2:49PM |  16°
MENU
Advertisement
Crystal Rose, an early education teacher with Pittsburgh Public Schools, has students raise their fingers in the air to make an "S" for "snake" at the Little Dreamers pre-kindergarten summer program in 2019.
2
MORE

Many children lack access to summer programs in Allegheny County, study says

Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette

Many children lack access to summer programs in Allegheny County, study says

A new study says a large percentage of students in Allegheny County who would have participated in a structured summer program before and even during the COVID-19 pandemic did not have access to them.

The study notes that summer experiences are more important than ever this year following the social, emotional and educational challenges posed by the pandemic, but the availability of programming remains in question for many.

“The work out-of-school-time providers in Allegheny County and across the country have been doing during the pandemic to support students and families has been remarkable,” said Jodi Grant, executive director of Afterschool Alliance, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that promotes quality after-school activities and published the study Thursday. “But with so many of our children needing social and emotional support, academic help, and opportunities to engage with peers and caring adults, be physically active and have fun, our work isn’t nearly done.”

Advertisement

Many local school districts have said they plan to expand their summer programming this year to help recover from losses caused by the pandemic, but the study said that availability is not always the problem. The barrier to activities is often the cost.

The study found that in Allegheny County and nationwide, 39% of families who did not have a child in a structured summer program in 2019 cited cost as the reason. Costs were an obstacle for 44% of low-income families compared to 35% of families with higher incomes.

The average cost of structured summer programs in 2019 ranged nationally from around $758 for voluntary summer programs to more than $900 for STEM camps, according to the study.

The study considered summer jobs, sports programs, camps, and internships as structured experiences in addition to summer school and learning opportunities. Regardless of design, program providers have expressed concerns about staffing and resources.

Advertisement

The study was funded by the Wallace Foundation and conducted by Arlington, Va.-based Edge Research using results from a 2020 survey conducted by America After 3PM, a part of Afterschool Alliance. The survey received responses from more than 29,500 families across the country and 209 families in Allegheny County.

The inequities for children from low-income families was apparent throughout the study.

While 27% of U.S. children in higher-income families participated in a structured summer experience in 2019, only 14% of students in families with low incomes did, the study said. About 74% of children in a summer program were from higher-income families, compared to only 26% of children from lower-income families.

Cost was not the only factor keeping children out of summer programs. The study said 18% of families cited issues with the location of or transportation to the programs. 

In Allegheny County, nearly 35,000 children who would have been in a summer program in 2019 did not have one available to them. Overall, almost 14 million children in the United States whose parents wanted to enroll them did not have access to a summer program in 2019.

Participation in summer learning programs dropped significantly across the nation in 2020 with just 34% of families enrolling a child in a structured summer experience, many of which were virtual. But the study said 55% of families in Allegheny County without a child in a summer program reported that they would have enrolled their child in a program in 2020 if one had been available.

Tanya Baronti, acting director of Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time, part of the United Way of Southwestern PA, said a concerted effort needs to be made to provide all families access to the programs they want for their children.  

“We intend to bring the community together to make these vitally important programs available to all children and youth in Allegheny County this summer,” she said. “Students need summer programs to recover, re-engage, interact with peers and mentors, address learning loss and re-discover their love of learning.”

Andrew Goldstein: agoldstein@post-gazette.com.

 

 

  

First Published: May 31, 2021, 10:00 a.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (5)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin watches his team play the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in the North Shore. The Cincinnati Bengals won 19-17.
1
sports
Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers report card: Mike Tomlin's curious decisions, conservative game plan spell doom
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Williams (18) sits on the bench after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in the North Shore. The Cincinnati Bengals won 19-17.
2
sports
Gerry Dulac: All signs point in wrong direction as Steelers limp into postseason
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) misses a pass while playing the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in the North Shore. The Cincinnati Bengals won 19-17.
3
sports
Joe Starkey: The Steelers offense stinks. Let’s talk about George Pickens and Matt Canada — I mean, Arthur Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) and Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz (46) walk off the field after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in the North Shore. The Cincinnati Bengals won 19-17.
4
sports
Jason Mackey: Steelers don't have much right now — outside of their delusions if they think this is OK
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.
5
sports
Steelers notebook: 2025 home and road opponents set after wrapping up 2nd place in AFC North
Crystal Rose, an early education teacher with Pittsburgh Public Schools, has students raise their fingers in the air to make an "S" for "snake" at the Little Dreamers pre-kindergarten summer program in 2019.  (Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)
Sophia Eberhart and Kennedi Harrison react as the class talks about snakes at the Little Dreamers pre-kindergarten summer program in 2019 at Pittsburgh King K-8 school on the North Side.  (Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)
Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story