Impact

Horizons is a transformative, educational summer enrichment program serving low-income public school students with a broad range of academic abilities.  Given an opportunity to attend for nine consecutive summers, Horizons students grow in skills and confidence returning to their own schools each fall better prepared.

Horizons programs transform the lives of students caught in the achievement gap – giving them the tools and support to become successful and confident college-bound students.  Horizons is closing the achievement gap by providing underserved children access to high-quality academics in an engaging summer program. Summer learning loss contributes to the national achievement gap putting low-income students as much as three years behind by the fifth grade.  In contrast, Horizons students gain an average of two to three months reading and math skills during the six-week summer program.

Students caught in the achievement gap:

• Are six times more likely to drop out of high school
• Have a 51% chance of being unemployed
• Are more likely to drop out of school, costing the nation $260 billion per year in increased crime, welfare and healthcare costs, and decreased lifetime earnings

Horizons’ educational model combines academics with arts, sports, and cultural enrichment – a combination which has been confirmed by recent research as the most effective approach to summer learning programs addressing the achievement gap.

Horizons begins in kindergarten, providing an opportunity for early intervention that addresses the achievement gap early.  Horizons encourages its students to return for nine consecutive summers, resulting in transformative cumulative gains in skills and abilities that narrow opportunity gaps.