ROCHESTER, N.Y.— M&T Bank has granted the Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association (GRSLA) $50,000 to extend its K-8 summerLEAP program to Pre-K students. 

 

The goal of summerLEAP, which stands for Learning Enrichment to Achieve Potential, is to close the achievement gap in the greater Rochester area by providing low-income students a learning experience outside of the traditional school year. 

 

“Across the nation, students living in low income families lose two to three months of reading and math skills every summer, summer after summer,” said Conger Gabel, CEO of GRSLA.

These same students, given the opportunity to participate in high quality summer learning, typically gain one to two months of reading and math skills every summer, summer after summer. The difference is profound. High quality summer learning is a critical enabler for these young people to succeed in school and in life. We are highly appreciative of M&T Bank’s investment in the children of Rochester.” 

 

The 6-week summer program combines academics with culturally enriching activities and confidence builders like swimming, arts, and sports. The program has a high teacher to student ratio of 1:5 and each child receives the support of a social worker to engage the family in the commitment to this program.

 

“We are proud to support the GRSLA in its endeavor to expand summer learning programs throughout the Greater Rochester area,” said Rochester Regional President Dan Burns. “Every child deserves an exceptional education and it is programs like summerLEAP that help make this a reality.”

 

The summerLEAP program is realized by a public-private partnership including GRSLA, The Early Childhood Development Initiative, The Children’s Institute, and the Rochester City School District. It currently combines the resources of eight educational institutions, The Harley School, University of Rochester, EnCompass Resources for Learning, Nazareth College, Monroe Community College, SUNY Geneseo, Allendale Columbia School and SUNY Brockport, and a number of community based organizations that host universal PreK programs during the academic year. 

 

Founded in 2011, The Greater Rochester Summer Learning Association (www.summerLEAP.com) is a 501c3 not-for-profit regional consortium of educational institutions that are leveraging their combined resources toward a common goal: to close the achievement gap for local low-income students by providing effective, tuition-free, evidence-based, summer learning and enrichment programs.

 

Founded in 1856, M&T Bank Corp. (www.mtb.com) is one of the 20 largest U.S. bank holding companies, with more than 650 branch offices and 1,500 ATMs in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Delaware.

 

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Media Contacts:

M&T Bank: Julia Shanahan, (716) 842-5385, jshanahan@mtb.com

GRSLA: Conger Gabel, (585) 259-1912, cgabel@mindspring.com