📚 Why Not Young Lives Summer Academy: Year 6 is Coming! 🚀

We are thrilled to announce that the Why Not Young Lives Summer Academy is returning for its sixth transformative year! Applications for the 2026 session will be available in January 2026, and we are excited to be back at Orangeburg High School For Health Professions.

Transforming Challenges into Triumphs

It's difficult to truly convey the challenges many of our scholars face outside the classroom—hunger, neglect, or trauma. But when they step into our nurturing environment, those obstacles begin to fade. The Academy becomes a family, a safe haven where every child feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Combatting Summer Learning Loss

Every summer, students across the nation face the challenge of "summer learning loss," a critical loss of academic development, especially in reading and math, when the school year ends. This gap can widen without ongoing, high-quality support.

The Why Not Young Lives Summer Academy is the solution. It is a five-week literacy, math, and cultural enrichment program designed to support children in grades 3–9 in communities where quality academic enrichment is either limited, too expensive, or non-existent. Our mission is to enhance children's motivation to read and learn through engaging activities, including STEM, while fostering a lifelong love for education. Our students delve into a research-based, multicultural curriculum that empowers them to believe in their potential to make a difference in their own lives and their communities.

Program Details in Orangeburg, SC

We are delighted to host the program at Orangeburg High School for Health Professions in Orangeburg, SC. This location allows us to bring this incredible opportunity to the Orangeburg community.

The daily program activities will run from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and include engaging classroom instruction, educational field trips, and structured recreation. To ensure our scholars are well-nourished and ready to learn, each child will receive two meals and a snack daily. Additionally, we are committed to supporting the entire family with weekly parent empowerment sessions.

🌟 Support Our Scholars: We Need Your Help! 🎁

To give our scholars a summer they’ll never forget, we need your support! Donations are critical to helping us reach our funding goals and bring this year’s programs to life.

Your contribution will provide approximately 125 youth and their families in Orangeburg County with a summer filled with:

• Literacy Enrichment

• STEM Education

• Cultural Exploration

• Social Justice Learning

• Family Empowerment Opportunities

Together, we can make a lasting, life-changing impact. Thank you for considering a donation to the Why Not Young Lives Summer Academy. Your generosity will help us offer an enriching, empowering, and unforgettable experience for our scholars.

National Day of Social Action March WLTX Interview