Springfield R-XII School District

“Explore” is our free expanded summer learning program that began in 2016, and provides over 12,000 students with up to two months of hands-on summer learning in an engaging, relevant, and personalized environment. By collaborating with nearly 70 community partners, students participated in 850 field experiences that connected their learning to personal interest-focused experiences.

Through Explore:

• students in grades 2 & 3 have weekly visits to the Dickerson Park Zoo as part of the “Into the Wild Course.”
• students in grades 4 & 5 can participate in “Survivor,” a course that partners with Bass Pro Shops and gives students the opportunity to visit Dogwood Canyon, a 10,000 acre outdoor park that promotes the preservation of natural resources.
• Middle school students have access to “Chocolate University,” a course that places students in a local chocolate factory, Askinosie Chocolate, to learn about the sourcing of cocoa beans from Africa.

Explore has transformed summer learning from a program rooted in remediation to an experience anchored to students’ passions.