Guest blog: Foundations, Inc.'s REACH model accelerates learning recovery in afterschool

By Elizabeth Cieri and Paula Houghton of Foundations, Inc. 

Educators across the nation are dealing with academic losses due to the pandemic -- mitigating those losses requires inventive thinking and better practices.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we knew all kids suffered learning loss. All kids need to recover,” said Rhonda H. Lauer, President and CEO at Foundations, Inc. “We decided at Foundations to develop the REACH (Rally, Engage, Accelerate CHallenge) model, one that can be used year-round and everywhere children learn. REACH aligns school, afterschool, and summertime to accelerate learning for all children.”

REACH is an innovative approach to learning loss recovery. It provides explicit instruction in reading and mathematics through targeted, evidence-based interventions in an inclusive, collaborative environment that focuses on the development of physical and social well-being. The REACH model also incorporates project-based learning and STEM. “There are a lot of hands-on activities. It’s learning by playing, learning by doing,” said Eric Holland, REACH STEM Instructor. “The kids are really actively engaged in what they are doing. They are having a good time while they are learning.”

The model was piloted in the summer of 2021 and evaluated by Jon Supovitz at the University of Pennsylvania in the William Penn School District and West Philadelphia Achievement Charter Elementary School. This holistic and strategically-designed learning acceleration model resulted in statistically significant gains in students’ reading and math skills. In addition, parents felt that their children had a valuable and positive experience.

Most importantly, the student-centered approach of the REACH model encourages students to interact in meaningful ways with other students and caring adults. All REACH instructors receive intensive professional development before the start of the program to ensure individual student needs are met and that learning is fun and engaging. “When I see a child smiling, when they are learning and having fun, then we have succeeded,” said Rosemarie Montesjardi, REACH Instructor. 

Join us on September 21 for the Accelerate Learning Recovery with the REACH Model webinar to learn more about the model and how to implement it in your own program.