Family FAQs
Students who will finish grades K-8 in spring 2024 (Rising 1st – Rising 9th graders) and who attend school in Wayne, Macomb, or Oakland counties can enroll in a Summer Discovery program. Summer Discovery will help students explore their interests, engage in their communities, and discover their potential through robust enrichment and academic programming. All programs are full day and will run for at least 4-5 weeks. Programs are provided at no cost to families and feature fun and engaging learning experiences to support the whole child.
Summer Discovery program sites are select schools and Community-Based Organizations in Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties that applied for and were approved for grant funding to offer free and engaging summer programming.
I. Program Registration
To find a Summer Discovery program site, please visit our site finder here. Families can use this site finder to find a Summer Discovery site near their home or work. You can filter your selection for your kids’ grade(s) and learn about how to enroll. You’ll also see information about the grade levels served and the type of program being offered. Note that some sites have limited enrollment (e.g., only students who attend during the school year or live in a specific area), so you’ll want to contact sites for additional information and/or look at sites that have enrollment open to all students in the tri-county area. Each site will list its location and a contact at the site to get in touch with to inquire about enrollment.
If your students’ school is not participating, use the site finder to find a Summer Discovery site that works for your family. When using the site finder, be sure to pay attention to the enrollment criteria. Not all sites are open to all students. Open enrollment sites are open to students in all three counties. To learn more about a specific site, please reach out to the contact listed.
In some cases, schools in a particular district may be hosted at another school in that same district, so review the lists carefully.
If your school is not listed here, please encourage your school to apply to be a part of Summer Discovery next summer!
As soon as possible! Spots will begin filling up quickly, so please reach out to sites and sign up as soon as you can.
All programs are provided at no cost to families.
“Rising” means the student will attend that grade next school year. For example, a Rising 1st grader will be attending 1st grade in the fall, a Rising 2nd grader will be attending 2nd grader in the fall, and so on.
For Summer 2024, programs are provided only for students finishing K-8 in Spring 2024 (Rising 1st – Rising 9th graders).
Summer Discovery will continue for at least three summers (2024, 2025, and 2026). No decision has been made for 2027 and beyond. Sites may change yearly, and students wishing to participate in Summer Discovery programming must re-register each year.
II. Programming Detail
With more than 60 Summer Discovery sites, your child is sure to find a program that’s fun and interesting! While all sites include academic programming, each site was able to design its own enrichment program. Use the site finder to learn more about each site’s offerings and reach out to the location to register.
All Summer Discovery sites will
- Provide at least 20 days of programming
- Provide 3+ hours of English language arts (ELA) and math instruction
- Provide full-day care for students
Beyond traditional instruction, all sites are providing exciting activities to make sure the summer is fun and that students are excited to attend! Activities vary by site, but may include exposure to opportunities such as field trips, community-based activities, volunteering, career exploration, STEAM, digital literacy, and more. See program descriptions to learn more about what individual sites have planned.
Students who register for Summer Discovery programming must commit to attending programming throughout the summer. Summer Discovery is not a drop-in program, and it’s important for students to attend daily to receive the full benefits of the program. If you have concerns about your ability to attend the entire program, please discuss them with the site contact before registering.
Each Summer Discovery site sets its own schedule. Reach out to sites to confirm
their program dates meet your needs. All programs run for at least 20 days.
Every Summer Discovery program site has a transportation policy and plan to ensure students can get there. Reach out to sites to inquire more and discuss your family’s transportation needs.
Students will receive literacy and math instruction during Summer Discovery. Some sites are using their own curriculum and others are using the Lavinia RISE curriculum (see more information here). If you have questions about a site’s curriculum, please contact that site. All students will take a short pre- and post-test, and their families will receive information about their students’ growth during the program.