Energy Express

Harrison County Parks and Recreation Commission is working with West Virginia University Extensions Service to provide yet another academic enrichment program for students over the summer, to actively engage in recreation activities yet providing the essential foundation for keeping their minds pumping.

This summer, 2012, HCPRC and WVU Extension Service has secured three locations for Energy Express: Northview, Salem, Wilsonburg.

Purpose

The Problem – Summer Decline in Well-Being

• During the summer many children lose academic skills.
• Without school breakfast and lunch, many children lose nutritional well-being.
• Many children have few structured learning opportunities.
• Summer learning and nutritional losses are greater for children living in rural and low-income communities.

Children living in rural and low-income communities often fall behind during the summer months, starting each school year behind where they were the previous spring. Successive summers of limited learning opportunities may cause children to fall below grade level by the end of elementary school—putting them further and further behind more privileged peers.

The Answer – Energy Express

Energy Express is a six-week summer program promoting the school success of children living in rural and low-income communities across West Virginia by:

• Providing summer learning experiences focused on reading.
• Serving two nutritious family-style meals each day.
• Engaging college students in service through AmeriCorps.
• Developing strong partnerships involving parents, schools, communities, and state agencies and organizations.