Summer Learning Program Assists YMCA in Becoming Finalist for Award of Execellence

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – March 23, 2013 – ThinkStretch Summer Learning Program provided an essential element to YMCA of Greater Cincinnati's YMCA Better Together Summer Program, which has been named as a finalist for the 2012 Excellence in Summer Learning Awards by the National Summer Learning Association. The YMCA Cincinnati's summer program served over 2,500 youth in 2012.

YMCA branches received grade-level aligned ThinkStretch summer learning workbooks to ensure that the children not only maintained skills gained during the previous school year, but also had the opportunity to increase skills in key areas such as math, reading, writing, and science. ThinkStretch has been an important component of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati's summer programming since 2009.

The YMCA Better Together Summer Program combined the ThinkStretch summer learning workbooks with field trips, meals, music, and art to strengthen students' academic futures and work to close the achievement gap. The program was so successful, 94 percent of participating students said they planned to attend college. Independent evaluators indicated that students participating in the program achieved:

57 percent average increase in reading test scores

51 percent average increase in math scores

"ThinkStretch is proud to have been chosen by the YMCA to support their students and families," said Donna Lasinski, Founder and President of ThinkStretch. "Stopping summer learning loss is a key piece in the puzzle to reduce the achievement gap."

The Excellence in Summer Learning Award, given annually by the National Summer Learning Association, recognizes outstanding summer programs that demonstrate excellence in accelerating academic achievement and promoting healthy development for young people between kindergarten and twelfth grade.

The ThinkStretch program has been proven to maintain year end academic outcomes for math and reading in students, helps prevent summer learning loss, and keeps students engaged in learning all summer long.

About ThinkStretch Summer Learning
The award winning ThinkStretch Summer Learning Program is a CCSS based, summer skill review program. The program features grade-specific workbooks, parent guides, kick off assembly, parent education night and an award ceremony with appreciation medals for the full school. Visit them at http://www.thinkstretch.com/.