III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 607 

Designating July 10, 2008, as ‘‘National Summer Learning Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 7, 2008 

Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. CARDIN, and Mr. FEINGOLD) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 10, 2008, as ‘‘National Summer Learning 

Day’’. 

Whereas all students experience a measurable loss of mathematics and reading skills when they do not engage in 

educational activities during the summer months; 

Whereas summer learning loss is greatest for low-income children, who often lack the academic enrichment opportunities available to their more affluent peers; 

Whereas recent research indicates that 2⁄3 of the achievement 

gap between low-income children and their more affluent 

peers can be explained by unequal access to summer 

learning opportunities, which results in low-income youth 

being less likely to graduate from high school or enter 

college; 


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•SRES 607 IS 

Whereas recent surveys indicate that low-income parents have 

considerable difficulty finding available summer opportunities for their children; 

Whereas structured enrichment and education programs are 

proven to accelerate learning for students who participate 

in such programs for several weeks during the summer; 

Whereas students who participate in the Building Educated 

Leaders for Life (‘‘BELL’’) summer programs gain several months’ worth of reading and mathematics skills 

through summer enrichment, and students who regularly 

attend the Teach Baltimore Summer Academy for 2 summers are 1⁄2 year ahead of their peers in reading skills; 

Whereas the Summer Youth Program Fund in Indianapolis, 

Indiana, the first community collaborative fund for youth 

programs in the United States, serves as an example for 

other urban communities by providing summer learning 

opportunities for young people; 

Whereas thousands of students in similar programs make 

measurable gains in academic achievement; 

Whereas recent research demonstrates that most children, 

particularly children at high risk of obesity, gain weight 

more rapidly when they are out of school during the summer; 

Whereas Summer Learning Day is designed to highlight the 

need for more young people to be engaged in summer 

learning activities and to support local summer programs 

that benefit children, families, and communities; and 

Whereas a wide array of schools, public agencies, nonprofit 

organizations, universities, museums, libraries, and summer camps in many States across the United States, will 


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•SRES 607 IS 

celebrate annual Summer Learning Day on July 10, 

2008: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates July 10, 2008, as ‘‘National 

3 Summer Learning Day’’, in order to raise public 

4 awareness about the positive impact of summer 

5 learning opportunities on the development and edu6 cational success of the children of the United States; 

7 (2) urges the people of the United States to 

8 promote summer learning activities, in order to send 

9 young people back to school ready to learn, to sup10 port working parents and their children, and to keep 

11 the children of the United States safe and healthy 

12 during the summer months; and 

13 (3) urges communities to celebrate, with appro14 priate ceremonies and activities, the importance of 

15 high quality summer learning opportunities in the 

16 lives of young students and their families. 

Æ 


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