The Union School District took steps to stop summer learning loss and keep kids interested in summer programs. The goal is for students to be eager to learn and be engaged at the start of the new academic school year.

NWEA, creator of academic assessments, reported that the average student loses 17–34% of the prior year’s learning during summer break. Students who lose ground in one summer are more likely to also lose ground in subsequent summers. Children living in poverty are disproportionately affected by the summer slide, in ways that can affect them years into their education.

Here’s what one educator shared with us:

During the summer, students sometimes regress in their eagerness to learn. One of the benefits of QUEST is that our students don’t have that same type of gap in the summer that other students have—that loss of learning. The QUEST students have been working so hard that I expect great things going into the new school year.

Students who participate in QUEST successfully:

• Learn about their strengths and build confidence
• Develop transferable skills for the upcoming school year
• Take on challenges in our friendly and safe environment

Here’s what one student told us:

QUEST was really interesting. The storyline was really good and the activities we did were really fun. It was a good way to spend my summer.

During our assessment, 59% of participants strongly agreed that their level of classroom engagement increased after experiencing QUEST. Additionally, students' overall rating of QUEST resulted in an average score of 8.4 out of 10, indicating a positive increase in the levels of student engagement. Plus, 70% of educators said learners were more engaged in summer school than traditional school due to the QUEST experience. Educators saw an 80% increase in overall attendance throughout the summer program from classes using QUEST.