West Hartford YMCA receives $2,500 in Grant Funding Funds Will Support the Power Scholars Academy
Hartford, CT – The West Hartford YMCA received a $2,500 grant from the American Savings Foundation in support of The Power Scholars Academy™ (PSA). PSA is an evidence-based summer learning program designed to close the achievement gap for underserved students by mitigating summer learning loss for students in grades K through 5.
Over the course of 5 weeks, the PSA curriculum incorporates daily academic, enrichment, and traditional day camp program opportunities to meet student needs. Students complete activities in a cooperative learning environment with support from peers. The 2:24 staff-to-student ratio allows instructors to create student-centered activities that are co-facilitated with the teacher’s assistant. PSA’s goals are to increase scholars’ literacy and math skills and mitigate summer learning loss; strengthen scholars’ self-confidence, social-emotional development, and physical health and well-being; and increase parental engagement.
“We are committed to the educational growth of children to ensure success during the different stages of their academic journey. This program will help scholars gain new academic skills and prepare them to enter school in the fall ready to excel,” said Harold Sparrow, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford.
In 2019, the West Hartford PSA program served 50 children. Through 30 hours of literacy instruction and 30 hours of math instruction provided, on average, students gained 2.0 months in literacy and 3.0 months in math skills.
The YMCA of Greater Hartford: Established in 1852, the YMCA of Greater Hartford is a charitable association open to all and committed to helping people develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind and body. This commitment is reinforced by our belief in living out universal values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. We will be the premier charitable organization, building lifelong success for all by advancing Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. In 2019, the YMCA of Greater Hartford served 108,000 community members, and provided $2.4 million in financial assistance so that everyone we serve could have access to life-saving swim lessons, life-changing summer camp, life-rebuilding cancer recovery programs, and so much more. Ghymca.org
About the American Savings Foundation: American Savings Foundation is a permanent charitable endowment which provides grants to local nonprofit organizations, and college scholarships to area students. Since its inception in 1995 the Foundation has contributed over $61 million in total grants and scholarships in central Connecticut. For more information, call 860-827-2556 or visit the Foundation’s website at www.asfdn.org.