Free & Affordable Learning Options Online and In-Person

Written by Joy Walczak, Communications Specialist for Kent ISD

Hundreds of educational options for classes, camps, and learning connections are being offered for students at all grade levels again this summer as Kent ISD brings back Summer Brain Gain in 2021.  After a year of multiple approaches to teaching, educators from school districts across Kent ISD are collaborating with partner organizations to keep learning going all summer for all students with many options free of charge.

Kent ISD’s Summer Brain Gain is a program that provides online learning, educational resources, and printable packets for students in grade K-12 in Kent County and Thornapple Kellogg Schools.

Registration for instructor-led courses is available by grade level for all public, private, and homeschooled students starting June 1.  Courses are available to view now: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. So parents and their children can start thinking about what courses they want to attend this summer and prepare for registration to open on June 1st.  These two-week courses in math, mindfulness, phonics, literacy, STEM, technology, SAT prep, and many more topics will begin on July 12th with the second session starting on July 26th.

MySchool@Kent is joining Summer Brain Gain offering flexible, online blended learning for free for middle and high school students for credit recovery from their Kent ISD public or charter school. Students must register by June 15 with their local school counselor. Opportunities are limited and are expected to fill quickly.

“Summer Brain Gain 2020 was a huge success with thousands of students participating and taking advantage of programs and options developed by education experts. It’s exciting to not only bring much of that programming back this year, but also to offer even more options for learning this summer,” said Kelli Brockway, Director of Teaching and Learning at Kent ISD. “The idea is to bridge the learning gap between June and the start of the new school year.”

In addition to courses, Summer Brain Gain offers students connections to vetted online apps, resources and links to learning that children and teens can engage in. Summer Brain Gain also links students and families to educational offerings by area cultural and community organizations who are School News Network Education Everywhere partners such as John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Van Andel Institute, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, and more.

Printable packets and links to Kent ISD’s Summer Brain Gain program are available through partnerships with Kent District Library, Grand Rapids Public Library, and Literacy Center of West Michigan.  Packets can be ordered for printing and picked up at library locations throughout Grand Rapids and Kent County starting in June. 

Please help us spread the word about this amazing opportunity for your students. We have created a flyer that you can share with your class and community. Click here to download the flyer and share today!

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