Enrichment as a Pathway to Opportunity in Los Angeles
Leveraging Summer: Enrichment as a Pathway to Opportunity in Los Angeles highlights the impact of our Summer of Joy initiative over the past four years and emphasizes the continued need for summer enrichment programs. The report showcases how Summer of Joy has evolved from a pandemic response in 2021 to California’s largest summer collaboration, providing free, in-person summer enrichment to tens of thousands of students across Los Angeles. This unprecedented partnership between GPSN, Los Angeles Unified School District, philanthropy, and dozens of community-based organizations demonstrates the power of collaboration in closing opportunity gaps for students.
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Key Findings
- Impact Over Four Years
Summer of Joy has served 188,258 students, provided 14,066 enhanced program hours, offered 1,966 field trips, invested $15,900,000, and funded 125 nonprofits since its inception.
- Positive Student Outcomes
93% of students report having fun in the program, 87% feel that the program helps them learn, and 91% feel like they belong, according to average student survey data from 2021-2024.
- School-Level Improvements
Many Summer of Joy school sites show noteworthy outcomes in achievement, attendance, and sense of belonging. For example, Compton Elementary has more than doubled its proportion of students meeting or exceeding math standards since 2018-19, while Columbus Avenue Elementary has dramatically reduced chronic absenteeism.
- Professional Development Success
The initiative has provided 6,701 hours of professional development for staff, with 99% of participants reporting they learned something they could apply at their school site over the summer, and 100% of Leadership Institute participants recommending it to colleagues.
Looking Ahead
The report shows that for students to thrive as adults, they need early, diverse enrichment experiences that spark curiosity, build skills, and support healthy development. Efforts like Summer of Joy prove what’s possible when school districts, community organizations, and philanthropy come together. With continued collaboration and sustained public investment, we can close opportunity gaps and ensure every student in Los Angeles has a real chance to succeed—regardless of their background.
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