Education on the Horizon

By Susan Martin

A school is a place your kids go four or five days a week, nine to ten months out of the year. But the yearning for learning is something that needs to be fed daily. School’s in session now and your kids are actively learning new things every day. But what do they do in the summer months that help further their education?

Statistically, children from low-income backgrounds tend to have less success in academics (based on high school graduation rates). A large contributing factor to a child’s education, among many other aspects, is where time is spent in the summer months. Many kids in higher-income homes are able to take family vacations, attend sports or paid educational camps, or do personalized summer learning sessions. But not every child has those opportunities available to them. And those that don’t, oftentimes get into other negative-impacting activities.

That’s where Horizons Delmarva comes in.

The mission and what drives their every effort is closing the income-driven learning gap in our nation, starting within their own community.

They promote a healthy learning environment and educational engagement. The staff works very closely with the Board of Education in Wicomico and Worcester counties, as well as with local counselors, teachers and other parents to make sure all students have the opportunity to further and enhance their education through summer learning.

Horizons Delmarva is part of a national program, with affiliates all across the country. With this, knowledge and wisdom is extracted from other territories and best practices pulled from other locations. On Delmarva, they began at The Salisbury School in 2003 to serve Salisbury and Wicomico County. Since then the organization has grown and obtained a full 501c3 accreditation and has added a Worcester County site.

What is Horizons exactly?

Horizons offers a six-week summer learning program for at-risk children who don’t have summer learning opportunities readily available. Programs are available for all ages, up to high school. Their programs range from Rising 1 (beginning the summer after kindergarten) to Rising 9 (the summer after eighth grade). They want to retain students year over year from first grade through middle school, so they keep coming back to further their education and break the mold.

There is a stigma around education that school and learning aren’t fun. “The learning environment created is one that is engaging yet educational… and one that doesn’t even ‘feel' like school,” said Joe Laque, Executive Director. The kids get hands-on learning, outside of a standard public school environment.

Horizons hires certified teachers in the S.T.E.M.-oriented subjects to teach the courses. With class sizes being smaller (four-to-one student-teacher ratio), tailored learning for each child is possible, accommodating the methods to which each child learns best.

Each summer program has a theme around a specific topic. Last year it was Olympics-themed. Next year it’s “Horizons Around the World.” All of the activities are geared towards this theme — and you can imagine both teachers and students get to be very creative. A couple years ago, the upper age group learned about, designed, built and used drones (sounds like so much fun). This program introduced math, science and mechanics to understand how drones work and what would their personally created drone look like and what it could be used for.

Students also get to enjoy swimming three days a week, accompanied by a certified swim instructor. Not every child was taught how to swim, and some may have even experienced trauma about the water. “There are many kids that have a deep-rooted fear of water, and by the end of the program, they are swimming laps,” said Joe. Field trips are also on the list of summer experiences. Many students have also never taken a field trip. They frequent many local and distanced favorite spots such as Assateague Island National Park, the Baltimore Inner Harbor and D.C. museums.

Another component of the summer programs is community service. “We want to teach them to give back, to serve the community that gives to them,” remarked Joe.

When summer ends, then what?

After the program ends, Horizons stays “in the know” about their students. Horizons students are monitored throughout the school year, including attendance, test scores and disciplinary infractions.

Once the kids hit high school age, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for summer programs. High school students can be “Horizons Interns” — assisting teachers, teaching lessons and helping with course needs. “They get to experience the classroom from the other side of the desk,” explained Joe. The internship is available in hopes to stimulate their brains towards a career path — whether that be in education or in another profession. Interning allows them the opportunity to see things from another perspective and helps them in their progression into the workforce.

The success rate speaks for itself with a 99% high school graduation rate.

What’s new in the offerings this year?

Recently, they’ve shifted to social-emotional learning (SEL). This type of learning helps students process their feelings and reactions to situations, teaching and instilling healthy coping mechanisms that aren’t always demonstrated in their lives. This also helps with learning the in’s and out’s of each student and aids in determining what the kids are interested in, helping them to learn better.

A more intense, year-round program is also available, when the need may arise. This includes private tutors, referrals to other programs or services, mentorship opportunities, counseling and other incentive program options.

New this year, Horizons has also partnered with Wor-Wic Community College for the upper school group (Rising 6 through Rising 9) to give more learning opportunities. “Wor-Wic has been amazing working with us in this new endeavor,” Joe said excitedly. This partnership gives students the opportunity to experience college and build their confidence in furthering their education, helping them to realize college is a potential future for them.

What’s on the horizon? You’ll want to get these two fundraisers on your calendar.

The Hero Roast is a Comedy Central-style “roast” (not a pig roast, although there will be food) where a special guest is “roasted" for the evening, all in good jest, to help raise funds for the organization. Mark your calendars for Friday, November 19, 2021, at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center. “It’s always a lot of fun bringing our work family and at-home families together for a good cause,” said Joe. Visit their website to buy tickets.

In December, grab your coat and take part in the Holiday House Tour where sponsored houses in the community decorate for the holidays. Using the house tour book, take a drive through Delmarva to see the beautiful homes decorated and lit up.

Ready to help?

Horizons Delmarva is always looking for volunteers for the programs, financial or resource support, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Interested in volunteering, donating or an upcoming event? The best way to contact them is via email at admin@horizonsdelmarva.org. Also, visit their website at www.horizonsdelmarva.org for more information.