6-Week Summer Enrichment Program

The aim of Horizons is to mitigate disparities for under-resourced youth from Pre-K through high school and beyond. Our summer program includes high-quality core academics with instruction in STEM, the arts, health and fitness, cultural enrichment, environmental education, and engagement in community service. Within this framework, we put special emphasis on early childhood development with our Pre-K class as this is a critical time in a young person’s life in which critical cognitive building blocks are formed. For all of our students, we provide confidence-building challenges, leadership training, experiential environmental learning, social-emotional development, and a focus on the mind-body relationship. Nutritious meals and snacks, which are critical to physical well-being and academic development of students, are a staple of our summer program.

Summer Program Activities:

• Early Childhood enrichment for our Pre-K students ensures that they are Kindergarten ready in the fall. Our bilingual teachers provide instruction in Spanish (and English) so that students can learn the alphabet, number sequencing, and how to be part of a caring community. Swimming, bike riding, field trips, art and music round out the curriculum.
• Academic enrichment in math and language arts for all students. Students that need additional support work with our reading specialist and math interventionist. 
• Daily swim instruction for grades K - 4th; free swim time for older students.
• Art instruction and music classes for all students.
• Extensive health & wellness programming for each grade, including sports, yoga, lessons in health, nutrition, body image, and self-care.  
• Social-emotional support includes access to counselors and classes with topics including practicing kindness and empathy, conflict resolution, and anger management. 
• Celebrations to mark academic milestones including continuations and graduations.
• Opportunities for High School students include a year round, one on one mentorship program and a one week Game Plan program featuring design-thinking classes and culminating in an overnight trip. For the remainder of the summer, students choose to either work as volunteers or interns in our Horizons program, internships of their choice, or engage in academic enrichment opportunities.
• Field Trip Fridays for all students include a strong focus on providing opportunities to experience the wonders of nature and outdoor environmental education. Recent outings include Lincoln Hills Cares, We Don’t Waste, the Denver Zoo and more.
• Overnight Trips from 5th grade through high school, students take part in overnight trips that are designed to get students outside, learning about the natural world. Our outdoor education programs also help cultivate leadership and team-building skills that our students might not otherwise be exposed to.