2022 Summer Success Literacy Camp

From August 1st – 12th, Irwin School in Swift Current will have 15 students back in the classroom ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 2. For 10 days these students will be attending the Summer Success Literacy Camp; an incredible program that was successfully delivered in Swift Current in 2019 and then due to COVID-19, had been postponed the past two years. Summer Success has been achieving great results in improving literacy for participating children, addressing summer learning loss challenges. With the generous support of Innovation Credit Union, Stark & Marsh, and other community sponsors, United Way is excited to once again be able to offer Summer Success in Swift Current.

“The Summer Success Program is a perfect fit for our Responsible Banking philosophy,” says Innovation Credit Union CEO Daniel Johnson. “We use our profits to better the lives of our community members and find such value in empowering youth initiatives such as Summer Success. Improving literacy builds confidence, improves mental health, and sparks life-long accomplishments such as post-secondary schooling endeavours. And let’s not forget, reading is fun! We’re thrilled to play a part in unlocking such tremendous potential in Swift Current children.”

A partnership was created with United Way Regina, Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, Prairie South School Division, and Chinook School Division to help stop the ‘slide’ in literacy for children at risk by delivering literacy camps for vulnerable readers in 2019. This year, United Way Regina is delivering 5 camps outside of Regina. In Moose Jaw, four camps will be delivered in partnership with Holy Trinity Catholic School Division and Prairie South School Division. In Swift Current, United Way Regina has partnered with Chinook School Division to deliver one camp.

Why Summer Success? It’s in the Research - Research has shown that summer learning loss has a major impact over time. According to the National Summer Learning Association (1), this learning loss or ‘slide’ is equivalent to two months’ worth of skill loss for each summer and by the time a child is in grade 3, they will be two years or more behind in their reading compared to peers who are exposed to reading opportunities over the summer months. As these children continue falling behind through the school years, they are at risk to not graduate. This is a reality in many schools in Swift Current. "Summer reading is critical for a child's ability to retain information learned and gain new knowledge. I'm excited to once again be a part of the Summer Success program that will help students strengthen their literacy skills." - Tracy Haack, Swift Current Summer Success Lead Teacher.