This “summer slide” is problematic for all children, but it is especially dangerous for those already struggling academically.

Georgia Tech is working with Horizons National to combat this problem. Nearly 100 rising first- through sixth-graders from Drew Charter School and Centennial Place Elementary School in Atlanta are on campus for a special six-week summer program.

Horizons Georgia Tech helps children of limited financial means find success in school and develop confidence by successfully completing goals. Students receive lessons in math, reading, science and technology and learn how to swim.

“Swimming is key because it is a confidence booster,” said Chris Thompson, associate director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC).

Georgia Tech is among five sites in the Atlanta region and 38 nationwide offering the Horizons program this year. This is the second year Georgia Tech is participating in the program.

The program is geared toward students who come from low-income homes and qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. It focuses on students who are performing below grade level, although others are welcome as well.

“Since we are at Georgia Tech we also teach science, technology and engineering,” Thompson said. “We want students to get excited about learning these topics.”

During a recent class, rising fourth-graders learned about electricity and magnetism through a hands-on activity that involved a battery, metal nails, copper wire and lots of paper clips.

Ajai Brinkley scrunched her face as she worked on the experiment.

“We are playing games and they’re fun, but then you realize you’re learning while you’re having fun,” said the rising fourth-grader at Drew Charter Elementary School. “And we get to swim, which is so much fun.”

Down the hall, rising fifth-graders worked on their coding skills. The program teaches all students the basics of computer programming and computational thinking.

Last year organizers saw significant improvements in learning. Students who completed the program last summer averaged a four-month gain in math and a two-month gain in reading, Thompson said. He expects even greater results this year.

A special ceremony officially launching the Horizons Atlanta regional effort is scheduled for June 19 at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Students in the Horizons program return each summer until they complete eighth grade.