Learning Doesn’t Take a Vacation

Why Summer is the Perfect Season for Curiosity, Growth, and Real-World Learning

May 23, 2025

Yes — the end of the school year is here. Backpacks are getting zipped up one last time, and calendars are shifting from assignments to summer camps, cookouts, and travel plans.

But here’s a powerful truth we believe at Candy Apple Advocacy:

Learning doesn’t stop. It evolves.

Summer is not a break from learning — it’s a break from the routine of learning.

And that’s a beautiful opportunity.

💡 Why Summer Learning Matters

In the classroom, learning follows a schedule. But during summer? It follows curiosity.

It’s not about lesson plans. It’s about life plans.
When students read a book under a tree or solve real-world math while shopping with you at the grocery store, they build skills that go far beyond test scores.

These moments create lasting impact — because they’re real.

🔎 How to Keep Learning Alive (Without Spending a Fortune)

You don’t need a fancy camp or expensive subscriptions. You just need intention — and a little creativity. Here are some simple, high-impact ways to spark learning this summer:

📚 Read Together, Regularly
Library cards are free. So are family read-alouds. So is letting your child pick a book that excites them. Reading builds confidence — and connection.

🧮 Practice Real-World Math
At the grocery store? Have them add up prices. Planning a trip? Let them estimate mileage or budget. Numbers matter more when they’re connected to real life.

🏛 Visit a Local History Site
Pennsylvania is rich with stories. Find a historical marker, battlefield, or museum. Better yet, let your child be the tour guide and do some research beforehand.

🌱 Start a Garden
You don’t need a backyard. A windowsill will do. Watching something grow — from seed to sprout to bloom — is hands-on science, patience, and reward all rolled into one.

🏛 Meet a Lawmaker
Civic engagement doesn’t begin at 18 — it begins with a visit. Many lawmakers welcome summer meetings with students and families. Let your child ask a question. Let them see how change begins with voice.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Summer is a Family Affair

Remember — learning doesn’t just happen to kids. It happens with them.

Engaging in these experiences as a family not only teaches lessons...
It builds values.

👉 Values like curiosity, confidence, critical thinking, and compassion.
👉 Skills that can’t always be measured — but are always remembered.

🗣 Let’s Keep Learning Loud

At Candy Apple Advocacy, we believe in every child’s right to grow — in school, out of school, in every zip code, and at every age.

So this summer, let’s stay engaged.
Let’s plant seeds of knowledge — and watch them bloom.

And when the new school year begins again?
We won’t be starting over.

We’ll be building forward.

In Harrisburg

Grading enhancement for the illicit sale of noxious substances to minors.

Representative Jeff Olsommer intends to introduce legislation that would elevate the penalty for selling noxious substances, such as nitrous oxide, to minors when there is reasonable suspicion of illicit use, from a third-degree to a second-degree misdemeanor. The bill aims to address the rising misuse and fatalities associated with nitrous oxide, especially among children, by deterring illegal sales and protecting public health.

Protecting Access to Pre-K Counts

Representative Liz Hanbidge is circulating a memo to all House members regarding the protection of access to Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. The memo, dated May 21, 2025, emphasizes the importance of Pre-K Counts in providing economically disadvantaged children with free pre-K services. These services equip them with essential skills and behaviors needed for kindergarten readiness and future success.

Giving School Administrators in Pittsburgh the Right to Collectively Bargain

State Representatives Lindsay Powell and John Inglis III are proposing legislation to grant school administrators in the Pittsburgh Public School system the right to collectively bargain, similar to principals and vice principals in the Philadelphia School District. This change recognizes the vital role administrators play in student success and aims to improve their workplace conditions by allowing them to organize under the Administrative Code of 1929.

In the Headlines

NEWS VOICES: Pa. teacher shortages prompt new solutions from districts, colleges in the region

Pennsylvania is facing a significant teacher shortage, with districts receiving few or no applicants for teaching positions and having to rely increasingly on emergency certifications. In response, local districts and colleges are implementing innovative programs to encourage and prepare new educators, such as immersive high school teacher experience programs and partnerships between community colleges and universities aimed at training and retaining teachers within their communities.

PA Cyber Charter leaders try to stop students from advocating for their teachers

At a contentious Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School board meeting, students advocating for better teacher pay and union contract negotiations faced efforts by the board president and possibly the CEO to shut down their comments. Despite initial attempts to block student voices, several students eventually spoke out in support of teachers, highlighting the profound impact educators have had on their lives. The dispute reflects broader tensions regarding the board’s spending priorities, union negotiations, and transparency, with legal experts debating the board’s right to limit public comment on such issues.

Penn Hills School District's proposed budget includes no tax increase

The Penn Hills School District's proposed budget for the upcoming year does not include a tax increase, aiming to manage expenses while maintaining current service levels. The district emphasizes fiscal responsibility and balancing financial constraints with educational needs, and community input will be considered before final approval.

Students rip cell phone apart, causing fire on Mifflin County school bus

Four 12-year-old students tore apart a cell phone on a Mifflin County school bus, bending and stomping on the battery, which caused sparks and eventually ignited a fire on the bus floor, leading to panic among passengers. The fire was quickly extinguished by another student using water, and no injuries were reported. The incident occurred around 7:44 a.m. on May 9, and police stated that charges will be filed against at least one student involved due to the dangerous actions that caused damage to the bus floor.

Study Shows Spending Soaring, Test Scores Falling in PA Public Schools

Despite record-high education spending in Pennsylvania, including over $23,000 per pupil and a total expenditure of $38.6 billion for 2023–24, student achievement remains poor, with many students failing to meet proficiency standards in math and reading. Critics argue that increased funding has not translated into better outcomes and highlight issues such as misused reserves, declining enrollments, and a system that benefits adults more than students.

Student charged as adult for allegedly bringing gun to school

An 18-year-old student named Diego Sanchez brought a weapon, identified as a broken BB gun resembling a 9mm handgun, to Jersey Shore High School and showed it to classmates while claiming it was for another student who was “lacking.” After multiple witnesses reported seeing the weapon in his backpack at school and on the bus, police charged Sanchez with terroristic threats and carrying a gun on school property. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing with no bail listed.

Pitt-Greensburg is getting more K-12 teachers into rural schools

Melissa Marks, director of the education program at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, is addressing Westmoreland County’s critical teacher shortage by immersing education students in local classrooms early in their college careers. This approach helps students build strong community ties, encourages them to take teaching positions locally, and supports ongoing community engagement through the student chapter of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which actively serves children and schools in the region.

Lancaster County Teacher Accused Of Groping 13-Year-Old Student: PA State Police

A teacher at Swift Middle School in Fulton Township is under investigation after a 13-year-old student reported that the teacher touched her buttocks during school on May 19. The Solanco School District responded promptly by removing the teacher from the classroom and cooperating with law enforcement, who are conducting an active investigation. No charges have been filed as of now.