Horizons St. Louis-Kirkwood Inspiring a brighter future for students most in need

by Don Corrigan

After a pandemic period of virtual instruction for students, Kirkwood’s Horizons St. Louis Program hopes to hit the ground running, and the pool swimming, this summer. The program serves area youth in need.

Horizons supports project-based learning to strengthen literacy and math skills for kids and provides fun recreational activities. It’s all accomplished with a team of professional educators in a five-to-one student to teacher ratio.

own, lose ground academically during summer vacation. The slide is especially pronounced among the disadvantaged. That is why we have this special enrichment program to address their needs. There is an emphasis on literacy, reading comprehension and math skills.”

Teachers reconnect kindergarten through fifth grade students to the joys of learning with a curriculum centered on six-week themes. A Horizons reading specialist works with individual students to improve literacy skills.

Public Library and the fire department.

A painting titled “Resilient Hope” by Angela L. Chostner hangs on a wall at Saint Martha’s DropIn Center. The center is located at 4733 Mattis Road in South St. Louis County.

The swimming component of Horizons is one of the most important, and fun, aspects of the summer program.

“We are all about addressing the ‘summer slide,’” explained Marie Kelly, president of the Horizons board. “Almost all students, through no fault of their

But it’s not just about hitting the books seated at a desk for hours. The program has included Saint Louis Science Center visits, a soccer camp, track camp, an Olympic Field Day, trips to the Kirkwood

Students can literally “get into the swim of things” at Kirkwood High School’s natatorium. The swimming program is adjacent to the classrooms at the high school where academic sessions take place.

“The swimming component of Horizons is very important,” said Horizons Executive Director Lakeshia Robinson.

“Kids learn to swim and achieve a sense of accomplishment and confidence to take on their academic challenges.”

Kelly noted that the demographic served by Horizons has a high mortality

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Circulation

Circulation is 35,875. Direct home delivery to residents in Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Des Peres, Glendale, Oakland, Rock Hill, Shrewsbury and Warson Woods totals 28,725; store stack distribution in the above communities plus nine additional communities totals 7,150. Circulation audited by Circulation Verification Council, St. Louis, Mo.