A Summer That We All Needed: Summer Together Initiative Spotlight on the Up On Top Summer Program
By Bill Fricker, Executive Director of Up On Top
For 20 years, UP ON TOP has provided after-school and summer programs in San Francisco. Although our Community Summer Program has always included academic support, enrichment opportunities, recreation activities and family support services, the need for each of these components during summer 2021 was heightened.
Because of the Summer Together partnership and the collective resources of DCYF, Crankstart Foundation, Opportunities for All, the SF Rec & Park Department and many individuals, UP ON TOP was able to enroll 84 K-5th grade students at the Tenderloin Recreation Center and at St. Mark’s Square in the Western Addition.
Our program offered a full ten-hour day, including providing free breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our team was challenged with trying to help our students be prepared (academically, physically and socially) to return to school this fall, while also have some well-deserved fun.
Hiring SFUSD teachers to help guide the academic component of our program and utilizing the Human Rights Commission’s Everybody Reads program gave us the foundation for ten hours of weekly “academic” time. These activities ranged from read-alouds, to acting, to group drawings, as kids were given individualized learning methods and assistance to support their own learning styles and needs.
UP ON TOP safely continued operating during COVID, but many of our enrichment activities were only offered remotely for the past 18 months. This summer we implemented a “no Zoom / no screens” rule, and welcomed the in-person return of Circus Center, Handful Players, Community Grows and many talented community partners who offered resources and live interactive opportunities.
We also continued to provide food support to our families and partnered with Department of Public Health to offer free dental screenings to all of our students.
Mostly, this summer needed to be FUN! Summer needed to be summer again. Thankfully San Francisco’s weather cooperated, and we were able to explore our City, including a Golden Gate Bridge walk, Crissy Field hike, a visit to a quiet Fisherman’s Wharf, Beach Day, Botanical Gardens, San Francisco Zoo, Yerba Buena Center and bowling, swimming at Hamilton Rec and hours of recreation and capture the flag at the amazing local parks in our neighborhoods.
Of course, eased travel restrictions allowed us to also explore outside of the City with trips to Granada Beach for surfing lessons, Raging Waters and the return of Great America Day.
A final component of our summer program was a required Community Service Give-Back. This year our students each completed a community service activity that may have included making lunches for our neighbors, beginning clean-up of a neighborhood garden or hosting an afternoon event for seniors in our community.
The Summer Together partnership gave non-profits like UP ON TOP the extra support and financial means to be able to offer all these important experiences and learning opportunities to the children of our City.
Finally, all of this was only possible because of the dedicated staff of UP ON TOP that worked hours and hours to give these children and their families the support and care that they deserve.
It was a summer that we all needed.
