“I’m asking you to do three things: Keep working hard, give back to young people, and give back to the community generally,” said US Secretary of Education, Dr. John King, to a room full of Higher Achievement scholars.
Secretary King visited our Ward 8 Achievement Center in DC on Wednesday, July 6, to discuss the importance of summer learning.
As Secretary King noted, summer provides a critical opportunity for students to learn. That’s why Higher Achievement has a six-week Summer Academy that staff often refer to as “part-summer school and part-summer camp.” Summer Academy is comprised of academic learning and experiential learning opportunities, including field trips, events like Olympics of the Mind, and college trips.
At the visit to the Ward 8 Achievement Center, Higher Achievement scholars shared stories of their summer experiences with Secretary King. The visit included a roundtable discussion with scholars, staff, and mentors. DC Executive Director, Katherine Roboff, moderated the discussion, asking scholars questions like “Why did you join Higher Achievement?” and “What are your goals for high school, college, and beyond?”
Scholars also had a chance to ask questions of Secretary King.
One scholar, Samaiyah, asked “What made you want to go into education?” Secretary King replied “Teachers…school saved my life.”
After the roundtable, Higher Achievement scholars, Kaya and Brinden, led Secretary King on a tour through social studies and math classes. Secretary King then joined Community Meeting where he shared remarks with scholars and staff.
This event was part of the Obama Administration’s Summer Opportunity Project, which the Department of Education describes as an effort” to support communities and increase the percentage of youth in evidence-based programs, decrease the percentage of youth experiencing violence over the summer, and support young people getting their first job.”
Learn more about Secretary King’s visit by reading the full press release.