Des Moines, IA - Since 1983, the Henry G. and Norma A. Peterson Charitable Foundation has partnered with Orchard Place to develop strong futures for youth experiencing mental and behavioral health challenges. Because of their generous $15,000 gift to the Residential Campus Summer School Program, youth will receive critical educational support over summer break.
“Summer School at the Residential Campus is important for our students because it helps maintain routine and structure,” said Stephanie Zuehlke, Associate Principal of Des Moines Schools at Orchard Place. “They continue with learning opportunities so when they come back in August, they are better prepared to begin school without any skill loss. They will not need reminders of what school looks like, sounds like.”
The Residential Campus Summer School Program provides 75 youth with six weeks of summer school to support their academic performance. Led by educators from Des Moines Public Schools, youth maintain a familiar schedule and learn essential skills that support the success of their academic journey.
Zuehlke explained, “We offer core high school classes during the school year. During the summer, we try to find engaging elective classes students may not otherwise have the opportunity to take.” This year those classes included Spanish I, Forensic Science, Speech, Creative Writing and Future Ready/Financial Literacy. Meanwhile, the elementary and middle school students engage in enrichment literacy and math opportunities along with social skills activities during their school time. “Our summer program employs an elementary classroom, three middle school classrooms and five high school classrooms,” explained Zuehlke. “And this summer, 27 of our 8-12 grade students earned high school credit toward graduation!”
You can make an impact and support the Orchard Place mission of providing a safe environment for children and their families to heal, find hope and empowerment, and build resilience to overcome mental health adversity. Learn more about how you can support Orchard Place in developing strong futures here.