Kotek Convenes Summer and After School Learning Summit

Gov.Tina Kotek has co-convened a Summer and After School Learning Summit sponsored by the Oregon Community Foundation and Gray Family Foundation. The day-long summit is an essential step in shaping a long-term plan and roadmap for creating high-quality summer and after-school programs that generate student success, reducing opportunity gaps and raising the bar for all students.

“The research is clear. Summer and after-school programs reduce learning loss, accelerate academic success, and strengthen student wellbeing,” Kotek said. “We’re here to roll up our sleeves, work together, and do what’s right for Oregon’s students. That means delivering high-quality programs that can reach the students who need them most, and ensuring sustainable, predictable funding for school districts and community partners.”

“At Oregon Community Foundation, we recognize the abundance of knowledge, expertise and lived experience across the state that can inform the ongoing efforts to expand access to high-quality summer and afterschool programming,” Senior Education Program Officer at Oregon Community Foundation Belle Cantor said. “This summit is one example of how we are stronger when we work together toward a common goal.”

Attendees included local elected officials and representatives from school districts, education service districts, philanthropies, advocacy organizations, community-based organizations, and sovereign tribal nations from across the state. They actively participated in discussions about:

How to create, maintain and demonstrate successful programs
Incorporating youth voices when developing programs
National trends in summer and after school learning
Reducing barriers to equitable access for students with disabilities and historically underserved students
Removing administrative barriers
Supporting the educator workforce

The summer and after-school learning work is one component of various education funding and student success conversations that the governor’s office is convening in preparation for next year’s legislative session. In July, the governor proposed a plan to update the state’s calculation of the state school fund. If funded in the next legislative session, this plan would boost the current service level for that fund by an estimated $515 million more than the current methodology projected for the 2025-27 biennium.