The Risky Prospect of Summer Vacation

Although summer can be a fun time of relaxation, rest, and a break from the business of the school year, it also can affect children's learning capabilities, which some researchers have dubbed "summer learning loss." Because of the way our education system is set up, summer learning loss has been and will continue to be an issue that students in our public schools will face.

In a similar way, Dr. Jean Rhodes has noticed the same sort of loss in "relationship capital" between a mentor and mentee. Since all relationships take time to build, time spent apart can be a significant challenge for many school-based relationships. Rhodes argues "that suspending services during the summer months 'is short-sighted, particularly since program effects tend to accrue with time, and many behavioral problems and difficulties arise during the summer months.' If school-based mentoring programs are to be effective, they must find a way of keeping the momentum from the school year going over the break."

Research continues to show that summer contact will benefit the mentee greatly and help the relationship to grow even stronger the following school year. Though summer contact can be more complex than mentoring at the school, it is worth the extra effort when it is done in a safe and thoughtful way. We can counter the risks of summer with the rewards of relationship. And that makes the prospect of summer vacation a whole lot brighter.

Chris Reinsma is the Vice President for Programs at KIDS HOPE USA. He serves as an active member of the Mentor Michigan Providers Council working to advance the quality of mentoring in his home state.