Healthy Summer Learners

Summer vacation represents an important time away from the school setting for a majority of
children attending public school in the US. This break is characterized by large amounts of
free time and involvement in a wide variety of formal and informal activities, time spent
with friends and family, and travel. Yet for many children, particularly those from
low-income households, summer vacation represents a "window of vulnerability" in which
dramatic declines in both health and academics occur. During the summer months (typically 3
months) children gain a larger amount of body weight compared to the amount of weight gained
over the school year, and weight gain during summer reverses weight losses achieved during
school. For academics, it is well established that children from low-income households
experience greater declines in reading and math during the summer than their middle-to-upper
income peers. Numerous programs that address these issues currently exist (e.g., summer
school, summer weight loss or fitness programs). However, these programs are designed and
delivered at the expense of the promotion or prevention of the other - academic focus without
health or health focus without academics. Our long-term goal is to develop summer programming
for widespread dissemination that addresses both lifestyle behaviors (i.e., physical activity
and nutrition) and academic performance. The objective of the proposed study is to establish
the efficacy of an innovative "Healthy Summer Learners" (HSL) program for low-income,
minority children. The rationale for the proposed research is that no summer programs
incorporate curriculum that addresses both unhealthy weight gains and academic achievement
simultaneously. This study seeks to fill this void by testing a prototype learning and
health-oriented summer program focused on promoting physical activity and nutrition, along
with content that provides quality learning experiences to develop reading and math skills.
To accomplish this objective, this study will evaluate over 2 summers the effectiveness of a
10-week Healthy Summer Learners program delivered within a Boys & Girls Club summer camp
using a randomized design in a sample of rising 4th graders. The aims of the study are Aim 1:
Evaluate the impact of Healthy Summer Learners on children's weight gain and academic
performance from beginning (end of Spring school year) to the end of summer (beginning of
Fall school year), and Aim 2: Evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Healthy Summer
Learners to children, parents, and program staff.

Inclusion Criteria:

- MAP scores are norm referenced based on typical grade level scores and are
dichotomized into 5 categories: Low (percentile < 21), LoAvg (percentile between 21
and 40), Avg (percentile between 41 and 60), HiAvg (percentile between 61 and 80), and
High (percentile > 80). Students that have scored Low or LoAvg on their MAP test in
the Spring of the 3rd grade will be considered struggling academically and will be
eligible to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

- children with severe intellectual or physical disabilities