Free summer education programs help Tulsa students avoid learning loss

Initiatives against academic regression are underway in Tulsa as The Opp Project targets 'summer slide' with enriching educational activities in partnership with local institutions.

Tuesday, July 8th 2025, 3:46 am

By: Jonathan Polasek


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While schools are on break, local organizations are working to keep learning alive. The Opp Project, in partnership with Tulsa Public Schools and other organizations, is tackling what educators call the “summer slide” — the academic regression many students face during summer vacation.

By providing engaging and educational programming, the group aims to prevent students from falling behind before the next school year begins.

What is the ‘Summer Slide’?

The “summer slide” refers to the learning loss that often happens during the summer months when students are not in a traditional classroom setting.

According to the American Educational Research Association, more than half of U.S. students experience summer learning losses five years in a row, with an average drop of nearly 40% of their academic gains from the previous school year.

How the Opp Project is Responding

To counter the trend, the Opp Project is collaborating with Tulsa EnrichED, Tulsa Public Schools, and a dozen community organizations to offer summer programming. These programs began this week and are open to qualifying students across Green Country.

“Whether that’s in the summer or during the school year, anything we can do to incentivize [students] to show up and want to keep coming back to school is powerful,” said Josie Pascoe, development and partnership specialist with the Opp Project.

What Students Will Experience

Instead of traditional classroom lessons, students will get hands-on experiences through local partnerships. That includes activities with Global Gardens and the Tulsa Zoo.

Pascoe said with these programs, community partners will bring extended learning activities into schools even after the day’s core academics have wrapped up.

Why These Programs Matter

High-quality summer enrichment programs have been shown to reduce summer learning loss and increase student engagement.

With consistent summer participation, students are more likely to maintain academic momentum heading into the next school year.

Jonathan Polasek

Jonathan Polasek studied Journalism at the University of Texas and has covered the oil and gas industry as well as sports. Jonathan joined News On 6 as a multimedia journalist in August of 2022 after working in Midland and Odessa.

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