Two years ago, Mayor Mike Rawlings started an effort in Dallas to combat the summer slide and give students a tangible pathway to a career. What started out as a small pilot in one of five U.S. cities as part of the Cities of Learning endeavor (now LRNG) supported by the MacArthur Foundation has now grown into a citywide initiative engaging thousands of students– Dallas City of Learning.
“Summer is our huge opportunity to do something really important for every child in Dallas. It is the time of year to provide children with rich learning experiences outside of the classroom. We have the resources right here in our city. We have the power to transform young lives,” said Gigi Antoni, President and CEO of Big Thought, a primary partner in the DCOL effort.
Dallas City of Learning is a public-private citywide commitment to ensure all students have access to summer learning opportunities in an effort to combat summer learning loss. DCoL connects students to in-person and online educational experiences provided by hundreds of partners offering programs to students in neighborhoods across Dallas during summer.
This summer learning initiative, managed by Big Thought, provides Dallas ISD-facilitated summer learning alongside the City of Dallas’ summer learning opportunities made possible through hundreds of community partners.
DCOL is a searchable online database where K-12 students and families can access high-quality summer programs merging academics and enrichment alongside programs and events designed for students to discover their talents, connect with their peers, and prepare for jobs.
To learn more about DCOL, visit http://dallascityoflearning.org/.
