The case for structured summer programming goes beyond chess. Research consistently shows that unstructured summers take a measurable toll on academic progress. A 2013 Johns Hopkins University survey found that 66 percent of teachers spend three to four weeks re-teaching material at the start of each school year, with nearly a quarter spending five to six weeks doing so. A more recent study by Northwest Educational Assessments found that students in grades three through five lost an average of 20 percent of their reading gains and 27 percent of their math gains over the summer months. Structured programs, the same research noted, were also linked to meaningful social-emotional growth in children.

“Ideally a summer camp will appeal to your child’s personal interest and combine academic challenges along with physical activities,” says NSCF founding director Sunil Weeramantry. “The academic challenges should be over and above those offered during the school year, but still be age and grade level appropriate, and in some way preparative to education in the upcoming year. The importance is having your child exercise both mind and body during the summer so that she has fun but is also keeping up the skills required to have success during the school year.”