GAIN@GUS: Academic Skills and New Experiences

“It has been another wonderful season," reports Pamela McCoy, GAIN@GUS director, looking back on the eighth summer of Glen Urquhart School's GAIN@GUS program offering academic skills and new experiences to students from Beverly and Lynn. Thirty-one students, aged 6 to 13, spent five weeks in June and July improving their math and language arts and building their confidence during recreational activities on and off campus. Continued McCoy, “With half of our students returning and the other half new to GAIN, I am always amazed at how quickly they come together as a group. They are kind to each other and after a very short time you do not remember they come from different cities, different schools, or speak eight different languages at home. These inquisitive learners seize the opportunities that we give them, whether in a classroom, during activity block or on a field trip. I watch them “GAIN” confidence as they realize that it is a place where they can take chances. We end tired... but are already looking forward to next year.”

Contributing to the community through public-purpose programs like GAIN are a natural outreach of the Glen Urquhart School “Mean well. Speak well. Do well.” commitment. This year the GAIN@GUS group included students representing diverse backgrounds and sharing varied languages, including Cambodian, Hispanic, and Albanian. With ready access to educators and staff, a supportive parent culture, and a campus to share, GAIN@GUS offers a well-rounded curriculum with unique opportunities for consistent learning. Reassuringly speaking with a student on the last day of camp, language arts teacher Katie Blynn said, “if you want to be here next summer, then we will be here for you.”

Launched in 2010 as a small academic outreach program, GAIN@GUS has since expanded its size and reach to welcome more than 30 students each summer. The program focuses on academic study, including language arts, math, and environmental studies with full access to the 23-acre GUS wetlands and nature trails. Mindfulness exercises, movement, swim lessons through the SUMMER@GUS day camp, and public speaking opportunities enrich the program. Weekly experiential learning trips deepen the academic study.

GAIN@GUS also welcomed interns from Glen Urquhart School’s Class of 2014, Maddy Harvey, McKenzie Perkins, and Maeve Corbett (pictured). Shared McKenzie, “I think of the word transformative when I think of GAIN… kids come in as one student at the beginning of the summer and leave totally changed from the experience.” Learn more about the GAIN@GUS program: https://www.gus.org/mean-well-...