Students are spending their summer surrounded by students and staff who look just like them.
While they’re building their academic skills, they’re also building confidence in who they are.
Nyah Ritter worked on her writing skills while sharing with classmates what she enjoys eating for breakfast on Saturday mornings.
“English muffins with a sausage patty and cheese on it,” Nyah said.
The soon-to-be second grader is taking part in the summer reading program.
It’s offered and led by the Fresno Unified African American Academic Acceleration program, known as A4.
This is Nyah’s third summer in the program, and she’s doing so well that she’ll be heading to Manchester G.A.T.E. in the fall.
She says while she likes the class, she’s also grateful for her teacher and classmates.
“Because I get to meet other people that are like me,” Nyah said.
The A4 program was launched in 2017 to close the gap in academic outcomes between African American students and other demographic groups.
The first summer reading program was launched in 2018.