SW Dallas News

Humana Healthy Horizons will donate $150,000 to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas to support YMCA Learning Academies, which help to provide educational resources to youths in the area. 

The $150,000 gift represents the largest that the YMCA Learning Academies division of the YMCA has ever received. 

The donation is expected to provide the Learning Academies with the funds that they need to operate in 2021. The Summer Learning Academies are the main tool in fighting the learning gap that occurs over the summer, which can be harmful to many children, especially those in underprivileged areas. This year, that danger was made worse by the pandemic, which has already put the education of millions of children at risk. 

"Research shows that two-thirds of the income-based achievement gap is attributed to summer learning loss," Jodi Newman, School Age Services Executive Director for YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, said. "We already know there will be the traditional summer learning loss, but this year, the learning loss due to the COVID pandemic will be an added layer, making this summer program more crucial than ever before. The Dallas YMCA has been offering this type of academy for years – that’s why we were able to pivot to expand this service so quickly in March when the pandemic began."

Newman said that through the gift, the YMCA will be able to expand how many children they serve, ensuring more than 150 kids will get the academic and mental health support they need throughout the summer months.