FAQ
What distinguishes Horizons from other enrichment programs for students from low-income households?
While there are many programs that have six-week summer academic and enrichment goals, there are four primary differences between Horizons and other similar programs:
Professional Teaching Staff
Horizons teachers are paid professionals, about half of whom teach at the independent school during the regular school year, and the student to teacher ratio is a low 4 to 1. Many teachers return to Horizons year after year.
Broad Range of Academic Abilities
Reflecting the communities from which students are recruited, Horizons does not accept only “gifted” or high-achieving children. To the contrary, approximately two-thirds of the enrollment for each program comes from students who are achieving at or below the national average for their grades. The third who perform above grade level often take leadership roles within the program and provide role models for those who have further to go in order to reach their potential.
Experiential, Hands-On Teaching Methods
Creating a love of learning is one of the most important goals of any Horizons program, and is accomplished through innovative teaching that ensures student engagement in the material.
Long –Term Involvement Beginning in Elementary School
Horizons begins in Kindergarten, and children are strongly encouraged to return every year through eighth grade. Once accepted, students are considered “in” the program (barring disciplinary issues) until they decide not to return. Preference is also given to siblings, consistent with Horizons’ philosophy that greater impact can be realized with family involvement.
Can a Horizons program co-exist with other summer camps on campus?
Many Horizons programs are held on campuses concurrently with other summer programs. The only practical limitation is the availability of space and facilities. While it is important that Horizons students experience a sense of community and cohesion within the program, the degree to which students from concurrent programs or camps interact varies from simply coexisting on the same campus to playing sports and having lunch together.
What kind of impact will fundraising efforts for Horizons have on the work of the host school’s development office?
While host school Boards may worry about losing funds to Horizons, decades of experience has demonstrated that independent school parents are sophisticated givers who support a variety of causes. Contributions to the host school rarely decrease because individuals are also supporting Horizons. In fact, in many cases, parents of the host school graduates maintain a higher level of giving to the school because of continued to be involvement on the campus through the Horizons program. On campuses where the development office has worked closely with the Horizons program, it has been recognized as a mutually beneficial fundraising relationship. In the words of one host school development director: “Horizons is a major asset which strengthens the school’s funding base.”
Why does Horizons emphasize swimming?
Over the years Horizons has found that, in addition to being a favorite activity, swimming boosts students’ self-esteem and encourages risk-taking in academic subjects in a unique way. Furthermore, swimming is a life-saving skill that many children from low-income circumstances would otherwise not have an opportunity to learn.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death among children; and black children and teenagers from ages 5 to 19, are 2.3 times more likely to drown than whites in this age group. For children 10 to 14, the rate is five times higher.
“Little wonder that black parents in disproportionate numbers have never learned to swim, have harbored a fear of water and have cautioned their children to stay away from it.”
Kevin Hellicker, “Minorities and the Swimming Gap,” The Wall Street Journal, March 20,2007.
Though many children come to Horizons with a deep fear of the water, each student leaves the program having learned not just the basic skills, but a love of swimming. |
