Greater Johnstown takes summer learning programs into Coopersdale, Solomon neighborhoods

Joshua Byers, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 12—Greater Johnstown School District's Summer in the City program kicks off Monday, but may look a little different this year, federal programs coordinator Vicki Ryan said.

While events including art, dance, music, academic and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs will take place at the middle and high schools, the activities will also be available at the Coopersdale and Solomon homes.

"Summer in the City has been long-standing for our school district," Ryan said. "The pandemic kind of derailed that last year.

"Not only are we excited to bring it back to our students, but we're excited to expand into our communities and connect with our families on a new level."

Organizers are also planning to expand to the Oakhurst Homes and Prospect Homes.

"We want to meet families where they live, and we want to make stronger connections with families in their neighborhoods," Superintendent Amy Arcurio said.

Another benefit of adjusting the locations is that the move solves part of the transportation barrier for participation, she said.

Arcurio said the students can now walk to the community rooms of their local facilities for the programs.

For students in kindergarten through fifth grade, call 814- 533-5540, ext. 3172 to register.

For those in sixth through 12th grades, call 814-533-5570, ext. 0042.

Another program set to take place this throughout the next few months and sponsored by the district is the "Trojan Summer Academy."

The academic-based program will begin July 6, run through July 29 and be led by Greater Johnstown teachers.

Students who struggled to maintain "grade-level proficiency due to lost instructional time," either because of school closure and difficulty connecting to the internet or a high rate of absenteeism, are being recruited for "intensive" reading and math intervention.

Those learners will be bused from their normal stops to the elementary school for half-day instruction in which they'll be provided breakfast and lunch.

"It's really an extension of the school year," Arcurio said.

Instruction for the academy has been determined by "prescriptions" provided by teachers during the last marking period of the 2020-21 school year.

Arcurio said administrators used that and data from a variety of end-of-school-year assessments to create individualized instruction for each student.

The final program running concurrently with the others is the annual "Summer Youth Cafe," which provides free meals to Greater Johnstown students for the next three months.

Breakfast and lunch will be offered at 15 sites throughout the city beginning June 21.