Remediation to Acceleration: How SummerQuest Transformed Summer Learning

Every summer, students soak in the joys of school break while educators and parents face a lingering homework assignment: how can communities help children avoid summer learning loss while fostering an environment for accelerated learning?

For the Wilmington Learning Collaborative (WLC) and its partner schools, SummerQuest was created to address that question, and what started as a 75-student pilot at a single school grew into a 121-student district-wide initiative in just one year. With this year’s program having wrapped up on August 6th, there is no better time to reflect on what makes SummerQuest so transformative.

The Summer Slide

According to Scholastic, younger children are the most prone to learning loss over summer break because they are at a crucial point in their development. This academic regression, also known as the “Summer Slide,” is particularly evident in low-income, disadvantaged children without access to affordable summer enrichment programs. Consequently, 9 in 10 teachers spend at least three weeks reteaching lessons from the prior year at the start of the fall.

For thousands of Wilmington students and educators, those statistics hit close to home and are the reality that SummerQuest was designed to change. 

The Origins of SummerQuest

Assistant Principal of Shortlidge Academy Diane Mahotiere first designed the SummerQuest program in the summer of 2025 with a focus on remediation, helping rising kindergarten, first, and second-grade students acclimate to Shortlidge. The program would also help develop early educational skills and close any learning gaps before entering the next academic level. 

Based on the great response to the pilot program, the WLC saw an opportunity to expand the initiative beyond Shortlidge Academy and across participating WLC schools in the Red Clay School District, including Johnson Elementary, Lewis Dual Language Elementary, and Shortlidge Academy.

Remediation for Acceleration

This year, when capital investment construction projects across three of the four Red Clay WLC partner schools temporarily led to multiple summer programs consolidating at Shortlidge, the WLC and Assistant Principal Mahotiere saw an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Instead of running competing programs in the same building, they redesigned the summer offerings: SummerQuest became the signature program for all K–2 students, with Freedom School serving grades 3–5.

The shared space became a catalyst for something bigger. The vision for SummerQuest evolved to move beyond remediation-focused programming designed to fill gaps, and into an acceleration model open to all students, regardless of benchmark scores. This shift was built on the research-backed idea that when students are given more opportunities to learn alongside their peers at all levels, all students rise, and struggling students achieve more compared with those who are only offered remediation-focused programming. 

Drawing on research from the National Summer Learning Project and post-pandemic acceleration studies, the program balanced rigorous, grade-level instruction with joyful summer experiences. Rather than pulling struggling students aside (and away from their peers) for catch-up work, SummerQuest used differentiated support within heterogeneous classrooms. Students grew together, enriched by extended care and anchored by strong staffing, consistent attendance, and active family engagement. Beyond academics, students also built confidence, routines, social-emotional skills, and a sense of belonging before the school year even started.

WLC Director of Professional Learning Dr. Kecia Nesmith said the shift reflects a broader belief about student potential, explaining that “The idea of acceleration is to not just provide the program to students who are struggling, but to provide the opportunity to all students, so that they can all work together and learn together.” 

A Day at SummerQuest

The philosophy came to life this summer with how each day was structured. The six-week program (24 days total) split each day into two blocks to blend academics with enrichment. 

In the morning block (8 am to 12 pm), students received a free breakfast, participated in social and emotional learning via a morning meeting, and used the remaining time to focus on reading and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities through the National Inventors Hall of Fame. 

During the afternoon block (12 pm to 3 pm), students received a free lunch and snack, and transitioned to social-emotional learning, art, swimming, enrichment activities, and field trips. Children & Families First (CFF) staff from each of the schools collaborated to provide these enriching experiences for students.

New this year: extended care from 3 pm to 5 pm, thanks to the WLC’s partnership with Let’s P.L.A.Y. Events. Themed “STREAMing into play,” students participated in inquiry-based STREAM (STEM plus reading and arts) activities in a hands-on setting. Not only did this provide additional activities for students, but it also provided working parents with an age-appropriate academic alternative to traditional daycare. Additionally, the WLC worked to address Purchase of Care considerations to ensure families didn’t lose access to childcare-related services while enrolled in the program.

Take Home Learning

Each week, students took home a book to keep and add to their own personal library, with accompanying activities included. The books were based on each student’s grade level and consisted of multicultural nonfiction and fiction books. This simple but intentional detail extended learning beyond the classroom. 

Community Involvement

For program organizers, strong community involvement begins with creating opportunities to connect. Spaces that celebrate student success while building trust and a deeper understanding of what families want and need to help their children progress academically. 

The program concluded with a SummerQuest Showcase, bringing together families, teachers, staff, and students for an afternoon of food, bounce houses, and engaging activities. Beyond the festivities, the event opened the door for meaningful conversations between families and educators. Those relationships help the WLC better understand each family’s unique strengths, challenges, and goals, allowing future programs and resources to be shaped by the voices of the community rather than assumptions.

“I think a lot of times people unintentionally assume what parents need,” Nesmith explained, “and I think we can better learn from our families in terms of what their successes are within their family structure and with regards to learning and meeting the needs of their children just by building relationships with them.” 

Measuring Growth and Success

Pre- and post-assessment results will guide how the WLC scales the program in future summers. By evaluating which SummerQuest teaching techniques produce notable progress before the school year starts, teachers can focus classroom time on the methods that resonate most and keep students engaged.

“My hope is that students will have fun while they are learning,” Nesmith explained, “and then we can also use this data to inform instruction for next year, and help the schools and the teachers understand where kids are, so that they then don’t have to wait until they complete their benchmark assessment.” 

Since standard benchmark testing occurs well into the school year, educators have limited time to adjust learning plans once student scores become available. SummerQuest assessments give teachers an earlier understanding of where students may be struggling, allowing them to make informed decisions and provide targeted support from the very start of the school year. 

What’s Next

If Summer Quest can double enrollment, deepen community partnerships, and move the needle on learning outcomes in a single year, the Wilmington community and WLC are excited to see the lasting impact of this program on hundreds of students’ lives each summer.