From the Dallas South News Wire (Heart of a Warrior Foundation)
It is well known that continued enrichment during summer months boosts a student’s academic learning. But according to studies pulled from more than a century’s worth of academic observations, the lack of high-quality activities and educational studies during the summertime is responsible for the tremendous learning gap now seen in lower-income students.
To combat this growing problem, the Heart of a Warrior Foundation (HOAW) was formed in 2007 to help less advantaged children overcome the learning slump during summer. In July, HOAW celebrated its third graduating class from the Young Warrior Learning Institute summer program; bringing essential summer learning programs to 155 students aged 8-15.
According to Gail Warrior Lawrence, founder and chairwoman of HOAW, each child participating in the Learning Institute receives hands-on tutoring through qualified instructors from Group Excellence, a leading supplemental educational services company in Texas. The curriculum is designed to help them improve their basic skills in math, science and language. In addition, students get access to practical training in such topics as Spanish, volunteerism and general life skills, along with enrichment field trips that add to their quality-of-life experiences.
“Our mission is to provide a safe environment where children are encouraged to learn and be productive leaders in the community through tutoring and education-based summer programs,” said Gail Warrior Lawrence, founder and chairwoman of HOAW. “Our program isn’t the typical arts and crafts projects of summer camps past. Instead, the Young Warrior Learning Institute is designed to help underserved area-children bridge the gap in education and life skills that many would not otherwise have access to.”
Harris Cooper, an education expert affiliated with Duke University, has done extensive studies examining the methodology of learning in children. The Cooper study concluded that the average student loses about a month of progress in math skills each summer, while low-income students may slip three months or more in reading comprehension or similar skills. A second major study conducted by Johns Hopkins University concluded that low-income grammar school students fell nearly three grade levels behind middle- and upper-income kids, and that summer was the biggest culprit. By ninth grade, the studies concluded that summer learning loss could be blamed for roughly two-thirds of the achievement gap separating income groups.
Even more important, Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Summer Learning revealed that 60 percent of all parents struggle to find high-quality summer programs. This problem is compounded in low-income areas where students don’t have access to the variety of enrichment experiences – such as attending museums, concerts and field trips — which their more economically advantaged counterparts have.
According to Seandell Phillips, executive director of HOAW, the Learning Institute is staffed with trained professionals who provide hands-on instruction Monday through Friday for three hours a day. “Each child not only receives basic math, science and language instruction, but the program is also supplemented with field trips and enrichment experiences that help stimulate the love of learning.” This most recent graduating class, for instance, participated in several outings to the Viking Culinary Institute, the Air Museum, and Lockheed Martin.
According to Phillips, this year’s graduating class comprised of students from the Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center, Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center, and St. Philips School & Community Center. The graduation ceremonies took place on July 30 in the Baylor Diabetes Health & Wellness Institute at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center in South Dallas. Students were addressed by Ms. Warrior Lawrence, the Honorable Dallas City Councilmember, Carolyn R. Davis, and educational entrepreneur, Carl Dorvil, president and CEO of Group Excellence.
“Since the formation of Heart of a Warrior Foundation in 2007, the program has gained awareness and recognition, which has allowed us to grow. From our first location with 60 students in the Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center, the program has expanded to three locations in just three years.”
And Phillips adds that with word of the program spreading, more and more students are signing up for classes. “We are already looking at establishing new locations, and are exploring new classes for 2011. With a growth rate of 121 percent, we are confident that the summer program’s popularity will bring even more students into the program next year.”
The Foundation is solely funded by charitable donations gifted or raised throughout the year. “We believe the Young Warrior Learning Institute is one of those important bridge-building organizations that will help bring opportunities for learning and growth to all students, regardless of economic status,” said Warrior Lawrence. “It is in all our interest to support the future of our children, and the HOAW aims at giving young students the tools they need to be successful in life.
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