SALA has expanded!

Starting this summer, more than 400 students in DC Public Schools are having the Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) experience. The free, five-week program in partnership with the DC Public Schools System brings arts-integrated learning and creative exploration to students in ways that support their growth in math and literacy! In these arts-integrated classrooms, teachers and teaching artists partner to connect non-arts subjects with a particular art form, challenging students to express themselves and problem-solve in new and creative ways. Additionally, students work with professional artists and community leaders to design and paint a mural. SALA DC is running at two sites in DC this summer: Lawrence E. Boone Elementary School and Bruce-Monroe Elementary School.

In preparation for working with students in DC, Arts for Learning Maryland and DCPS identified the highest areas for impact. Over the course of a year of planning, A4L met with dozens of community leaders, artists, and educators in DC. The collaborative planning resulted in SALA DC employing more than 60% of its artists and staff who are based in DC or work for DC Public Schools.

Research shows that this award-winning program helps stem summer learning loss and stimulates student growth in the subsequent school year. SALA has been transforming summer learning for thousands of Baltimore City Public School students for more than eight years–supporting both their academic and their social & emotional growth. And now, students in SALA DC will also learn by doing, by creating, and by exploring through classroom instruction co-developed and co-led by teachers and professional teaching artists.

To learn more about SALA, visit artsforlearningmd.org/programs/summer-arts-academy.