Summer School

ECHO Summer Programming

ECHO’s summer and after-school programming provide safe havens for young children and youth who may not have structured activities to participate after school and during the summer months. It provides participants with opportunities to improve their athletic skills, while learning the importance of and being recognized for their teamwork, fairness and support of  others.

A five-week Summer School has been created in partnership with the City of New Haven for students ages 14 - 24 years of age. The Academy’s focus is on math and reading remediation, technology credentialing, and ECHO social-emotional development.  Planning is underway to create additional emphasis on experiential learning in the sciences.

Basketball and Baseball in Fairfield County

Since 2006, The Justice Education Center has coordinated an ECHO Summer Basketball Program including the cities of Fairfield, Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stratford. Each summer, a minimum of 200 youth participate. While the teams focuses on sports drills and competitive games, ECHO’s Ten Core Values focus on sportsmanship and life skills are emphasized both on and off the court. In addition to basketball, there is one American Legion Baseball League in the city’s north end.

Basketball in Hartford

In partnership with the Village for Families and Children, the 3-week ECHO Basketball Program is held for children and youth throughout the city, ages 6-13 years of age during the summer. The Martin Luther King, SAND, and Burr schools serve as the camp’s summer sites. A total of 18 ECHO coaches are trained and hired each year, some of whom started as ECHO campers.  

Throughout the day, ECHO’s core values are demonstrated and emphasized during practices, games, and interactive workshops.Special awards and “Moments of Greatness” certificates are presented to campers who demonstrate ECHO’s core values.  Particular emphasis is placed on resiliency, self- esteem, teamwork, empathy and supporting others.  City and State leaders interact with camp participants and share their personal stories, emphasizing how ECHO core values play an integral role in their personal lives. 

The ECHO Basketball Program culminates with an end-of-the-season picnic for campers and their families to celebrate the campers’ participation and efforts