Over 150 ABSS students spent two weeks on Elon's campus for the Summer in the Village program, sharpening their math skills through various music concepts.
For 12 summers, hundreds of Alamance-Burlington School System students have spent their valuable summer vacations on Elon’s campus to learn about math and music as a part of the Summer in the Village program.
More than 150 students were involved in this year’s Summer in the Village, a two-week program offering Pre-K-5 students more one-on-one time with teachers than available during the regular school year. The students were separated by grade and placed with instructors from either Elon or ABSS.
Travella Free, executive director of the Center for Access and Success, said there has been tremendous growth in the students from last summer and she is excited for what the future holds for all programs under the “It Takes a Village” umbrella.
“The teachers are commenting on how the tutoring aspects has impact their students in a positive way,” Free said.
“The significance of Summer in the Village cannot be over emphasized. Beyond bridging academic gaps, it allows students to practice skills that are fundamental to learning, participate in enrichment opportunities such as Music in the Village and boost a student’s confidence as they prepare for the challenges of next school year,” she added.
The two-week program, which operates under the It Takes a Village project, culminated with a final presentation in Whitley Auditorium on Thursday, July 20. The students performed several musical numbers demonstrating what they had spent the two weeks learning.
Performances displayed what the students had learned in regard to music, movement, rhythm and expressions.
Sydney Simmons, the program coordinator for the Village Project said the Summer in the Village is a key aspect of the It Takes a Village program, providing unique opportunities for students.
“Distinctly from our programming during the school year, students get to experience a college campus, be in community with students from all elementary schools and engage in musical classes. Further, Summer Village allows us to do our part in decreasing the ‘summer slide’ and preparing students to continue to academically succeed as they transition to the next grade,” Simmons said.