Free Summer Programs in The Midlands Help Children Avoid ‘Summer Slide’

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)-Summer means fun in the sun for some, but for others it could mean forgetting grammar rules and math equations.

“If they’ve really fallen behind it can be they can be up to two years behind their peers which is devastating,” Ricjland County Librarian, Heather McCue said. “Its like if you didn’t clean your house for two years, you’ll be completely overwhelmed and not sure where to start right? So that child feels that way.”

Local organizations are making sure your child doesn’t suffer from ‘Summer Slide’, which is a phrase used to describe the loss of academic gains during the summer break.

Yolanda Watlington found out her daughter was dyslexic and was in danger of falling even further behind.
So she turned to the Richland county library to help prevent her child from falling victim to the summer slide.

“They were working with me showing me that there’s nothing to be scared about we’re going to get this going on right now so when she gets older she won’t get stuck on situations that are about to come,” Watlington said.

“We want to make sure kids are both physically and mentally active,” Richland Library Community and Media Relations Coordinator, Emily Stoll said.

Experts said each year is crucial but this year there’s a push for education in the Palmetto state.

“We are getting eclipsed by so many other states we’ve got to make some big changes here, our public library is doing everything that we can,” McCue said.

We are offering over one 1,000 free programs to children teens and adults at all of our locations throughout the summer,” McCue said.

The Salvation Army is helping stop summer slide with free camps throughout the summer.

“The theme this summer is “Around the World” so they’re learning about different cultures,” Salvation Army of The Midlands Director of Public Relations, Mark Barrett said. “It’s educational but we keep it fun.”

It’s not too late to get your little signed up for those programs this summer.

If you want to sign up for the Salvation Army’s free Summer program you can pick up an application at their Farrow Road location.

You can also visit the Richland County Library’s website for more information on their free summer program.