For Funders
♦ Summer learning loss is the major reason that children from disadvantaged backgrounds fall below grade level. Losses are cumulative, and persist into adulthood.
♦ Summer learning is a powerful strategy for moving students toward grade level. Extra hours of rigorous academic work turn summer learning losses into gains.
♦ The research on the subject is compelling! Click here to learn more.
SAIL’s approach, based in the collective impact model, ensures that finder investments in summer learning deliver solid outcomes.
The key elements of the SAIL approach are:
- ♦ Collective Funding: Funders pool their resources to shape the landscape of summer learning in the community.
- ♦ Common Grant Cycle: Programs need make only one grant application, which is seen by all funders, and submit only one report at the end of the summer.
- ♦ Quality Assurance Framework: Programs use the Star Assessment® and share key performance data. The data inform a peer-learning process so that outcomes improve over time.
United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) builds a stronger community by advancing the health, education, and financial stability of residents in the region, and the organization provides millions of dollars and hours of volunteer work each year to support vital services throughout Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker counties.
UWCA is committed to fighting for better education. In addition to supporting member agencies with the same goal through allocations, the nonprofit actively invests in partners who are leaders in this effort through a variety of funding opportunities, such as Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL), Central Alabama Children’s Fund and the Community Crisis Fund. SAIL’s focus on closing the academic achievement gap aligns with UWCA’s vision to bolster education in Alabama.
As a long-time partner, UWCA has supported SAIL since joining as one of the six initial funders of its first grant cycle in 2012. The decade-long relationship has been instrumental in advancing the work of the Bold Goals Coalition. Coordinated by United Way, the Bold Goals Coalition is a collective impact network of local organizations whose mission includes improving educational outcomes. With SAIL, Bold Goals can bring community partners together and address large-scale issues, such as summer learning loss.
United Way is proud to partner with and support SAIL’s Summer Learning Program as it helps students gain proficiency in reading and math. UWCA continues to help fund programs that reduce the summer slide, increase student attendance, and prepare young learners for school. For 10 years, the partnership has helped SAIL enrich students’ educational experience and create a future where students achieve their full potential.
To explore investing in SAIL programs, click here.