New Year’s resolutions have barely begun, but parents across the country are already thinking ahead to summer – specifically, the summer scramble. Securing before- and after-school care during the school year usually involves parents having to string together a patchwork of options, but come summer, all bets are off. Data from KinderCare’s Parent Confidence Report reveals that nearly half of parents find school breaks and summer holidays stressful because of not being sure how to find summer activities for children.
As educators, we know the importance of extended learning programs, not only for children but also for working parents. However, providing these kinds of programs to your communities can be challenging, particularly since it often involves recruiting additional teachers, developing a curriculum and managing additional operational tasks. At Champions, a leading provider of year-round programming across the U.S. for more than 25 years, we partner with schools to create turn-key solutions that make it easier for school leaders to offer supplemental offerings, such as summer camps, before- and after-school programs and more.
Helping Parents Bridge the Summer Care Gap
For working parents, navigating after-school programs can be a painful task, but in the summer, when parents need help all day, five days a week, for three months? That’s a herculean effort. Our summer camp program Champ Camp is a convenient approach schools can implement for parents seeking full- or part-time summer care. Our research-backed curriculum includes indoor and outdoor group activities, as well as field trips designed to help children use their natural creativity and curiosity to learn and develop important social skills, such as independence and resilience.
Giving parents the peace of mind that comes with knowing their child has a safe, enriching program lined up for the summer well before summer starts is one of the main reasons that last year we opened Champ Camp enrollment earlier than ever before. We saw one of our highest enrollments ever in 2023, indicating parents are ready to make these decisions earlier than ever.
Extended Learning + New Programming
The Parent Confidence Report also found that 85% of parents of school-age children believe it’s important children are raised with social-emotional skills. Champions’ research-backed curriculum for 5- to 12-year-olds goes beyond the classroom, offering themed programming, hands-on activities, and outdoor play which help children learn and develop important social-emotional skills, building on academic concepts they learn every day in their classrooms.
Champ Camp extends learning into the summer months while helping campers explore their natural creativity and curiosity in a familiar space with friends. Each day’s activities also include indoor and outdoor free play so children can let their imaginations roam screen-free.
Effortless Implementation for Schools
Champions makes it easy to implement summer programs, handling every aspect, from launching and managing enrollment to creating the curriculum and overseeing billing. We leverage available school space and oversee all operational matters, including staffing, freeing educators and school administrators to dedicate their full attention to students.
We also work directly with families to manage enrollment, scheduling and billing. And our week-to-week approach provides parents with the flexibility they require to work around their demanding schedules.
While it may feel early, Summer 2024 is just around the corner, and we are excited to offer parents a stress-free summer solution through our safe and enriching programs. As dedicated partners for educators, our commitment includes seamless implementation that sets us apart. We will continue to support communities around the country and enhance the summer experience for all. For more information on how to get involved or enroll your child, please visit us online.
