Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced on June 9 that schools will offer summer programs for students of all ages, from preschool through 12th grade.

“We are excited to again offer summer school for all students, which will include reading, math, science and English for K-8 students, credit-earning opportunities for high school students and enrichment classes for all ages and all grades,” Beutner said. “And for the first time, we’ll also offer summer school at selected school sites for preschoolers.”

Some of the most popular classes from last summer will return, including Science of Sports with the Los Angeles Chargers, and a Voyage on the Titanic. The Fender Play Guitar classes will offer an additional 2,500 middle school students an opportunity to receive a free acoustic or electric guitar, electric bass or ukulele and join the 5,000 students already participating in teacher-led music classes.

Educators from the LAUSD also worked with Illumination, the creators of the Minions, to put together an Honors Cartooning and Animation class in which high-school students can earn credits for graduation and college admission requirements.

Many new courses are also offered this year. Middle school students can learn storytelling skills and create their own comic book with the help of DC super heroes in the WarnerMedia Story Lab, and explore history and culture in a Black/Pan African American History course. In Artificial Intelligence for Good, high school students will learn the basics of AI and use the technology to address a social issue in their community.

The Summer Enrichment program runs from June 22 through July 23. The LAUSD will also offer a full-day Beyond the Bell Summer Enrichment Program from June 14 through July 30, with in-person activities focusing on academic, physical, creative and social-emotional development.

“Whether a student is participating in person or taking advantage of the online connection every student now has, we know all students will benefit from participating in school with their classmates,” Beutner said. “This is another important step in the path to recovery. We’ve demonstrated how our nation-leading safety protocols are keeping schools safe, and we look forward to welcoming more students back onto campus this summer.”

“Our kids and families have faced different challenges over the course of this pandemic, which is why it’s so important that the district is offering our most expansive summer learning and enrichment program for students of all grade levels,” board member Nick Melvoin said. “We need to do more than just prepare students for the next school year academically. I’m excited that we’re also providing a wide variety of in-person and virtual enrichment opportunities, including the first-ever districtwide summer camp program for our kids to play outdoors, have fun with friends and begin healing from the trauma of the past year.”

For information, visit achieve.lausd.net/summer2021opportunities.