Research shows that students with high attendance in quality summer learning programs gain an advantage in math and reading—but getting kids to sign up for voluntary learning programs isn't easy.

The arts are powerful tools for learning in any setting, inside and outside the classroom. Yet when you bring the arts to kids outside of the demands of the school day, their imaginations light up. They use the arts as a creative gateway to success.

The National League of Cities (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families is currently researching the role that cities play in supporting summer learning. This survey will help gather information on unique city practices, partnerships, and municipal investment in summer learning.

With generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) piloted a teaching fellowship program, Summer Pathways for Innovation, that paired teachers with local summer learning programs in New York City and Chicago during the summers of 2012 and 2013.