CHS teacher running marathon for Summer Learning

On April 18, 30,000 runners will begin at the starting line in Hopkinton ready to complete the 120th Boston Marathon. Joining those athletes is Sharon Bolduc, a longtime Canton High School teacher. Bolduc is a part of Team Summer Learning, a group of runners raising money to support campers at both Hale Reservation and Courageous Sailing. Team Summer Learning helps to give underserved children access to life-changing learning opportunities.

Sharon Bolduc

Hale and Courageous Sailing are part of the Summer Learning Project, a partnership of local nonprofits that work to mitigate summer learning loss in urban youth. The achievement gap between low-income students and their higher-income peers is explained largely by unequal access to learning opportunities beyond the school day. Students who don’t participate in learning programs during the summer lose substantial knowledge and skills gained during the school year. This “summer learning slide” most adversely affects low-income students, is cumulative across a young person’s lifetime, and represents an expensive leak in our educational pipeline. Mounting evidence suggests that quality summer programs can stem this loss and, in some cases, even accelerate students’ progress.

As an official Boston Athletic Association charity, Team Summer Learning is raising funds to make these opportunities available to children who could not otherwise afford a summer spent in the woods at camp or on a sailboat. Bolduc, a special education teacher, is running because she believes that every child deserves the right to educational opportunities and understands the impact this will have on so many young lives.

“As a mother and teacher, I realize the importance of kids keeping active and challenging their bodies and minds, especially over the summer,” she said. “Running for Team Summer Learning is the perfect match for me because it provides opportunities for kids to experience this. Whether it is sailing, hiking, swimming, or any of the other many activities that are offered, kids are moving, learning, growing, and having fun in the great outdoors. It doesn’t get much better than that!”

To support Bolduc and her team, visit www.crowdrise.com/HaleReservationBoston2016.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Apr 8 2016. Filed under Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.