San Diego Boosts Level Up SD with $8M for 49 Nonprofits

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Today, the San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Foundation (SDF) revealed that they’ve allocated $8 million in grants to 49 local nonprofit organizations. This funding is dedicated to bolstering the fourth year of Level Up SD, a program aimed at enhancing students’ summer learning experiences.

“San Diego Unified is grateful for the ongoing partnership and shared commitment we have with community-based organizations to offer our students access to meaningful summer academic and enrichment opportunities, at no cost,” said Dr. Lamont Jackson, Superintendent of San Diego Unified. “This summer, students can explore their interests, such as learning to play an instrument, engaging in ocean exploration, or participating in athletics, while fostering a sense of community and belonging.”

San Diego Unified supports Level Up SD using funding from the California Department of Education’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. This program is designed to specifically aid expanded learning initiatives, commonly known as after-school programs or summer learning experiences. Data from San Diego Unified indicates that participants in the summer program exhibited greater improvements in reading and math proficiency compared to those who did not participate.

“San Diego Foundation is committed to fostering equity of opportunity for local students,” said Mark Stuart, President & CEO, SDF. “Expanded learning programs like Level Up SD provide students with social-emotional learning support, accelerate learning and narrow the achievement gap, while providing much-needed childcare support for working parents.”

Absolutely, here are the nonprofit partners for Level Up SD this year arranged in three columns:

The summer of 2024 brings the latest installment of Level Up SD, offering a chance for local nonprofit organizations to collaborate with SDF and San Diego Unified. Together, they aim to deliver engaging summer activities for San Diego Unified students while tackling the issue of summer learning loss. This year’s initiative will cater to as many as 10,000 San Diego Unified students, emphasizing support for priority groups such as English learners, foster youth, those eligible for free or reduced lunch, and students with disabilities.

The program is entering its fourth year in Summer 2024, catering to students ranging from Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) to eighth grade. Activities will take place across 49 schools and community locations over nine weeks, completely free for San Diego Unified families. The initial five weeks will be on district campuses, followed by off-site sessions in collaboration with local nonprofits. Level Up SD locations have been strategically chosen to ensure priority students have access.

Launched in 2021, Level Up SD is an out-of-school time program for San Diego Unified students, partnering with over 130 local nonprofits and benefiting 25,000 students since its inception.

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