Learning Network Shifts Districts’ Approach To Summer Programs

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Learning network shifts districts’ approach to summer programs

By Nancy Gannon and Sara Doughton

Categories: Change management, Data, System leadership

August 2024

Even in the best of times, significant education problems are rarely fixed with easy solutions, and 2021 was not the best of times. The COVID-19 Omicron variant was causing a new wave of infections and, because of school and life disruptions, students were struggling with learning loss and a decline in mental and emotional health. Against this backdrop, FHI 360, an organization whose education initiatives aim to dismantle obstacles and give students the tools they need to succeed in school, designed and launched the District Summer Learning Network with funding from The Wallace Foundation. The network helps districts pivot in their approach to summer learning as a strategy to mitigate the pandemic’s worst impacts by igniting learning and improving student well-being. Helping districts navigate the

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Nancy Gannon

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Nancy Gannon ([email protected]) has 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, principal, and district administrator. As Senior Advisor of Teaching and Learning for US Education at FHI 360, she leads the District Summer Learning Network (DSLN) funded by the Wallace Foundation, where, in partnership with her team, she has designed and implemented a strategy that will reshape summer learning for over 2.2 million students. In addition to DSLN, she directs a range of projects designed to build state and school districts’ leadership capacity to transform learning environments and ensure educational equity and whole child development are essential parts of academic programming.

Sara Doughton

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Sara Doughton has more than 15 years of experience designing and implementing youth development and education projects for US-based and international programs. In her role as Senior Technical Officer with FHI 360’s US Education team, she serves as the DSLN project manager, overseeing internal and external communications and co-leading the team’s work with state education agencies. Sara previously led service-learning and youth leadership programs for 9-12 grade and college students.