Madison-Oneida BOCES and the Rome City School District teamed up this summer to offer a new Summer Enrichment Program at Strough Middle School. The six-week program welcomed about 40 students from 7th and 8th grade, giving them a fun and focused way to continue learning during the summer.
The program featured project-based learning (PBL) to help students build confidence in math and reading while developing important skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. The first two weeks focused on building relationships, setting expectations, and learning how to work together. Students were encouraged to share their goals, and their feedback helped shape the direction of the program.
As the weeks progressed, students explored literature through short stories and a debate, learned about life in the 1920s, and discussed the impacts of technology. They created maps to strengthen spatial reasoning and practiced math skills including fractions, place value, and ratios. In science, students engaged in hands-on lessons about the periodic table and the everyday uses of common elements.
“The program did an excellent job bringing middle school students together and preparing them for the school year ahead. The student feedback was very positive,” said Molly LiBritz, Assistant Director of Secondary Programs.
To wrap up the program, students presented their final projects during a gallery walk and peer review held in the Strough cafeteria. Molly LiBritz and Tracy O’Rourke, Principal of Strough Middle School, attended the event. Students did a great job presenting and showed strong interest in their peers' work.
To balance learning with fun, students also participated in a scavenger hunt, played kickball and basketball, and enjoyed other group activities in the gym—building teamwork and community along the way.
The first year of the Summer Enrichment Program was a strong start, giving students meaningful opportunities to learn, connect, and grow in a supportive setting.
