Program integrates book & social skills

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - One thousand low income, at-risk youngsters -- primarily in Decatur Township -- are more than half-way through an unusual, free and intensive summer program. Summer Advantage USA is intended to help kids grow academically and socially.

The education reform organization called The Mind Trust combined $100,000 in federal, state and local grants to offer very low-income families intensive summer school. Everything is free to the families including two meals for the kids, transportation and child care.

Boston educator Earl Martin Phalen heads the program. He said he hired 150 top teachers from throughout Central Indiana.

Phalen said, "While most children lose three months' skills during the summertime, we expect our scholars to gain three months reading, writing and math skills on a standardized pre and post diagnostic test."

During the regular school year, Katey Roberts teaches kindergarten.

"A lot of those kindergarten concepts: writing their name, knowing their letters and their sounds, they've kind of lost through the summer. So, having that throughout the summer will hopefully help them," said Roberts.

Each week, the children take a field trip. Places range from Conner Prairie to the animal shelter. Last week, they went to the IMAX theater. One child told a teacher, "I've never been to the movies before."

A real test of the program's success may come next year when the ISTEP scores of these kids are compared with classmates who didn't participate.