Frequently Asked Questions

Your child can attend DiscoverWorks if they:

1. Will have completed kindergarten through 8th grade by the end of the 2025-26 school year (students entering grades 1 through 9 in fall 2026)
2. Attend a participating school in the Puget Sound or South-Central Washington regions

Check the Find Your School page for a list of participating schools.

No. The program is completely free to families. This includes:

• Full-day programming
• Breakfast and lunch
• All learning materials and activities

The program is made possible by funding from Ballmer Group and is offered at no cost to the families of participating students.

Not exactly. While all DiscoverWorks programs follow the same core structure, each school may offer a slightly different schedule or activities based on staff, resources and community partnerships.

Here’s what you can expect at every school:

• At least 20 days of the DiscoverWorks program
• A full-day summer program (about 8 hours), Monday through Friday
• 3 hours of focused learning in math and reading
• Time for hands-on fun like art, science, sports, and field trips
• Free, nutritious breakfast and lunch
• Supervision by experienced, caring staff

Your child will also take simple assessments at the start and end of the program to show how much they’ve grown over the summer.

Participating schools will share registration information with families when enrollment opens. Watch for messages from your school.

Dates and locations will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

DiscoverWorks helps your child:

• Build skills in reading and math
• Participate in hands-on activities and field trips
• Gain confidence and independence
• Stay active and connected with other students
• Explore new interests in a safe, fun environment
• Receive nutritious meals all summer long

In 2025, more than 26,000 students participated in Summer Discovery, now called DiscoverWorks, in Southeast Michigan. Of those students assessed, proficiency levels tripled in reading and doubled in math. Students who needed the most help made the biggest gains, and 76% of families said the program helped prepare their child for the next school year.

Your child will experience a variety of:

• Strong academic programs (math and reading lessons with qualified teachers)
• Creative and hands-on activities (such as arts, STEM, sports, and field trips)

Schools use high quality curriculum, such as Lavinia RISE, which is specifically designed for summer learning.

These experiences help kids stay curious, make friends, remain engaged in learning, and go back to school feeling prepared.

Regular attendance is important and required, so students get the most out of the experience.

• Programs run for at least 20 days during the summer
• Full-day schedule: Monday through Friday (about 8 hours/day)

Please note: Drop-in attendance is not available

No, you may only register your child at the school they are enrolled in during the school year. In some cases, the program location may differ from your child’s school.

In order for a school to receive grant funding for the summer program, schools had to complete an application process as well as meet the following criteria:

• Must be a traditional public school, charter school, or tribal school within the Puget Sound or South-Central Washington regions.
• Serve a student population where at least 50% qualify for free lunch
• Provide in-person instruction and enrichment
• Serve students entering grades 1 through 9 in fall 2026

DiscoverWorks is designed for students entering grades 1–9, but not every participating school is able to serve all grade levels. Each school decides which grades it can support based on staffing, space, and local needs. Because of this, available grade levels may vary by location.

DiscoverWorks may be offered in multiple languages. Please check with your school to confirm which languages will be available, once registration opens in Spring 2026.

Check with your school site to determine if transportation to and from the program will be provided. Transportation to all program activities is provided at all sites.

Schools receive grant funding to help operate the program, along with implementation support, assessment tools, training, and optional curriculum resources.

Like many grant-funded programs, DiscoverWorks includes expectations for the schools that offer it. Schools agree to meet standards for enrollment, attendance, reporting, and program quality. These expectations help ensure public and philanthropic resources go where they are intended: to students, in the form of a full-day summer program with academic instruction, enrichment, meals, and experienced staff.

Some school districts may choose to use additional funding from other funding sources to contribute to the success of their local DiscoverWorks program.

No. We understand that families may face illness, transportation issues, family obligations, or other circumstances that could affect attendance.

The goal of the attendance expectation is to encourage consistent participation because students benefit most when they attend regularly and stay connected to the learning, enrichment, meals and relationships offered through the program.

Schools are also encouraged to use engagement strategies and supportive approaches to help remove barriers to attendance. This structure is intended to support strong program implementation, and support families when unavoidable absences happen.

Eligible participating school districts receive funding to support program development and administration.

Summer 2026 marks the Washington pilot of DiscoverWorks, launching in ESD 105 and Puget Sound ESD 121 to provide free, high-quality, full-day summer learning. This initial year serves as a critical step to refine the model, demonstrate its value to students and families, and hopefully, encouraging more districts to sign up to offer the program next year!

Maintaining student engagement over the summer months is a powerful driver of academic progress.

DiscoverWorks is designed to provide more summer learning opportunities for students, along with additional funding, training, tools, and implementation support to help districts with eligible schools expand their existing efforts at no cost to families.

Districts and schools have flexibility to design programming that reflects the needs of their students and community. That may include using an existing high-quality curriculum, choosing the optional DiscoverWorks curriculum, partnering with community organizations, and offering enrichment activities.

The shared program expectations help ensure students receive a consistent, high-quality summer experience that includes academic instruction, enrichment, meals, and meaningful connection. Within that structure, DiscoverWorks gives schools room to shape a program that works for their community.

DiscoverWorks is optional. Schools are not required to participate and it’s not intended to replace existing programs.