2023 Report to the Network

2023 Report to the Network

Letter to Our Community

Dear Horizons Community,

2023 was a year of records for Horizons. For the first time ever, the Horizons Network of 71 programs nationwide supported our highest enrollment of 7,148 students in pre-kindergarten through high school. Student achievement soared: Horizons students gained an average of 8.8 weeks of grade equivalence in their reading and math skills, and students who started the summer below grade level earned even higher gains. Attendance rates were back to pre-pandemic levels, with students averaging 88% daily attendance. And, most importantly, family satisfaction with Horizons was at an alltime high: nearly 98% of families want their child(ren) to return to the program in 2024.

Still, across our country, there’s something we can’t ignore: our kids are struggling. From disrupted schooling and social unrest to a growing mental health crisis, the young people of our country need our support, and it’s clear that schools can’t do it by themselves. Chronic absenteeism is on the rise, with 36% of U.S. 4th graders missing 10% or more of school days in 2022, up from 24% in 2019. Chronic absenteeism has been linked to diminished health, involvement with the criminal justice system, and poverty. Many schools lack the resources needed for extended learning, quality teaching, and student support to help kids catch up.

This moment is where programs like Horizons shine. We know from decades of experience that our research-based, high-quality, long-term approach drives student joy, well-being, and academic achievement. We know some of the most important learning takes place during out-of-school time, and that students thrive when they are supported by positive relationships. We are at the forefront of a movement - an all-hands-on-deck effort to help our nation’s youth - and Horizons has the solution.

As we look forward to another year of expanding learning and expanding Horizons, we are grateful for our growing community of affiliates, partner schools and institutions, community and government partners, program champions, and Horizons students, families, and alumni.

Together, we will provide equitable learning opportunities for more students and advance equity in education everywhere we can.

Lorna Smith, CEO Vicki Craver, Board Chair

Meet Ethan!

Horizons is built on long-term relationships, and few students understand this better than those who have been with the program since toddlerhood. This year, we were honored to speak with Ethan, a rising 8th grader at Horizons at CT State Norwalk, to learn more about his years at Horizons since joining the program in pre-kindergarten.

“I barely remember my first day,” Ethan shares, “but I was pretty shocked I had a friend. I have a friend I’ve known ever since the first day, and we actually still talk to this day. Of the twelve [students in my class], seven of us have been here since 2016.”

Ethan had a hard time deciding on his favorite part of Horizons. “Swimming is like a really fun part of Horizons. I think my second favorite would be kickball, and basketball. In science we had a class called STEM, and we did projects. We had this density project where we put oil and water, and since they had different densities, it didn’t mix up. And another thing we did in science was make slime."

One of the field trips I really loved, that I was looking forward to - like, I was actually thinking about it the day before, I was anxious, I couldn’t sleep - it was Adventure Park. It’s like a park where you do ziplining, a ropes course, stuff like that. I actually got a little scared by [ziplining], but I conquered it. And my teachers were behind me, and they were even more scared than I was, so it was fun - a little teamwork.

– Ethan, Horizons at CT State Norwalk

When the pandemic hit and Horizons programs operated online, Ethan found an interest in technology. “When we went virtual, I felt like I knew more about technology. Now, I usually help the teachers with technology. One time the smart screen wasn’t working, and I found a way to fix it. So I’m actually thinking like, I have an interest, a talent, and a skill with technology. So I’m thinking of being someone who works at Microsoft, Apple, or Google.”

For now, Ethan is looking forward to another summer with his friends and classmates. When asked what he tells others about the program, Ethan says, “Usually when people ask me about [Horizons], I tell them, I don’t like it - I love it.”

The Horizons Network by the Numbers

For the first time in 2023, the Horizons Network of 71 programs nationwide supported over 7,000 students in pre-kindergarten through high school, thanks to the hard work of more than 1,700 teachers and staff.

7,148 Students

71 Sites

1,057 Teachers

1,708 Total Staff

I promise this was the best decision I ever made for my daughter. Everyone that I came in contact with was amazing. I will definitely be back next year. Thank you so much for caring for my child.

- Family, Horizons Hampton Roads (VA)

STAR Growth

Horizons programs use STAR Literacy and Math testing to measure students' progress. STAR Data helps Horizons teachers and Reading Specialists understand the needs of their students to help deliver more targeted instruction. Students are tested at the beginning of each summer session, and again at the end to determine how much they have grown in early literacy, reading, and math during their six weeks with Horizons. This year, students gained an overall average of 8.8 weeks' growth, and students who tested below grade level at the beginning of the summer gained an average of 10.5 weeks' growth!

Across Horizons' 71 program sites, 95% of student spots were filled. Additionally, programs saw a 72% retention rate, meaning that almost three out of four Horizons students and families came back to the program for another year. Throughout the summer, the average daily attendance rate of all Horizons programs was 88% - the highest we have seen since the pandemic. Attendance and retention are critical to student learning, especially when our country is seeing spikes in chronic absenteeism nationwide - nearly 14.7 million students were chronically absent during the 2021-2022 school year (AttendanceWorks).

Students and Families

Horizons supported a record-breaking 7,148 students and their families in 2023 - our Network’s highest enrollment ever.

Pre-kindergarten

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

9th Grade

10th Grade

11th Grade 12th Grade

Student Race/Ethnicity

Asian

Black or African American

Hispanic/Latino

Two or More Races

White

Other

Teachers and Staff

This year, 1,057 teachers, among 1,708 total staff, provided opportunities for joy and learning for thousands of students. Many programs hired additional supporting staff this summer, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and enrichment specialists, mental health and/or guidance counselors, and family and student coordinators.

Asian

Black or African American

Hispanic/Latino

Two or More Races

White

Other

[Horizons] meant bonding and building rapport with students, earning their trust, and showing them how school can be fun, safe, and supportive in a structured environment. I want to return and stay with my class to see them through to eighth grade graduation.

– Teacher, Horizons at Lancaster Country Day School (PA)

Strategic Plan Objectives

2023 kicked off Horizons National's 2023-25 Strategic Plan.

At this moment in time, with so many students and communities still grappling with the educational reverberations of the COVID pandemic, proven programs like Horizons must do more. The 2023-2025 Horizons National Strategic Plan prioritizes growing and sustaining Horizons programs to reach more students and ensuring equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) are at the center of all that we do.

Pillar 1: Accelerated Network Expansion

Central to our mission of creating more experiences that inspire the joy of learning is the expansion of the Horizons Network to serve more students. Over the next three years, we will accelerate our rate of growth using strategies we already know work and explore other strategies for growth through strategic partnership and new models.

Pillar 2: A High-Impact Customer Service System for the Network

We will develop a stronger and more efficient customer service model for Horizons sites and prioritize the services we provide to focus on the areas where we can have the most impact. We will work closely with our affiliates to align our internal systems and services with the Network's highest priority needs, and employ technology as appropriate to deliver them effectively.

Pillar 3: A Culture of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Our ongoing work to advance equity is embedded into every aspect of our Strategic Plan and we will continue to make progress on our Staff and Board Equity Plans. We will create vehicles for our stakeholders to be seen and heard, particularly as it pertains to the decisions that impact them, and we will co-create EDIB guidelines for affiliates.

Pillar 4: Increase and Diversify Revenue

Horizons National’s financial health is essential for the success of our Strategic Plan and our mission to build long-term partnerships that create more out-of-school time learning opportunities for students. We see opportunities to partner with affiliates in fundraising, specifically related to our Campaign for Growth and regional expansion initiatives. We intend to explore a cost-sharing model with our affiliates for centralized services from which they benefit.

Expanding Horizons

Launching new sites and expanding existing Horizons regions is critical to our mission of advancing educational equity and reaching more students, families, and communities.

The Horizons Network continued to grow in 2023, thanks to the strength of Horizons’ partnerships and relationships across the country. We were thrilled to welcome three new sites and hundreds of new families to the Horizons Network in 2023:

St. Catherine - St. Lucy School in Oak Park, IL began their first Horizons summer in the Horizons National Chicago region with 30 kindergarten and first grade students.

The Temple in Atlanta, GA became the 11th site to join Horizons Atlanta, now supporting over 1,000 students in metro Atlanta.

Tower Hill School in Wilmington, DE is Horizons’ first site supporting students in Delaware! We look forward to continuing to expand throughout the state.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Horizons National’s (HN) Strategic Plan Pillar 3 is designed to “strengthen our culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at Horizons National, and support affiliates in doing the same” and we remain committed to advancing this goal. In 2023, guided by our Equity Framework, Horizons National determined that it was important to elevate Belonging and leaned into adding it as a goal (EDIB). In 2023, significant progress was made toward our EDIB goals, including:

• Horizons National Board Equity Initiative

An updated EDIB Board Action Plan and a corresponding “Report Card” was finalized September 2023, and the ongoing EDIB work will fall under the purview of the HN Board Strategy Committee who will be responsible, along with the Governance Committee, for ensuring the EDIB Action Plan is executed and periodically updated. The goals include:

1. Modernize Board governance structure of systemic racial equity and inclusion

2. Recruit and retain BIPOC Board members

3. Educate and develop culturally competent, racially literate, and inclusive Board members

• Horizons National Staff Equity Initiative

In 2023, HN worked with Prosper Strategies and updated its core values. The Staff EDIB Plan was updated and a report card created with the following goals:

1. Build staff capacity to support EDIB within HN

2. Advance a culture rooted in racial justice, universal equity, belonging, and well-being

3. Implement equitable strategies at HN to advance a diverse and a thriving workforce

The Action Plan has progressed and highlights included a follow-up JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) training course in 2023, an improved performance review and goal setting tool to reflect values, and bi-annual staff pulse surveys, including one with an EDIB focus.

Disaggregating demographic data and tracking that data over time are ways to assess and inform work to promote diversity. Horizons National has historically shared demographic data for Horizons teachers, staff, and students. In this report we are also including demographics for Horizons affiliate leadership and HN staff, consistent with the goals of HN’s Staff EDIB Plan.

• Horizons Network Equity Initiative

Horizons National continues to be responsive to the Network and partner with affiliate leadership on EDIB initiatives. In 2023, updates were made to the Horizons Affiliate Guidebook to reflect previous EDIB-related changes to the Affiliate Policies and alignment with strengthbased messaging. The Network Task Force for Equity and Access remains strong, with 40% of the Network participating in quarterly meetings to advance conversations and provide resources around EDIB at Horizons. Finally, Horizons Network staff and Board members contributed to candid discussions during our 2023 “Let’s Be Honest” session during the HN Annual Conference, and nearly 80% of affiliates responded to a follow-up survey probing demand for EDIB resources and local EDIB practices. Of the EDIB practices listed, respondents say they are doing these the most:

• Provide equal access to all students and families

• Take active measures to see diverse candidate pool when hiring

• Effectively manage culturally diverse workforce

• Take appropriate actions in response to incidents of discrimination, bias, or inequities

Every year I value spending time at Horizons. Everyday we do something new that is always important to me and fun. This summer has helped me prepare for a job interview and has helped me create a resume that will help me in the next few years.

– 9th grade student, Horizons Albuquerque (NM)

Being a teacher in the Horizons program is fulfilling and inspiring. It provides an opportunity to give students what they need in a positive environment and makes teaching fun again.

– Teacher, Horizons Atlanta at Woodward Academy (GA)

Celebrating our Teachers

During our 2023 Annual Conference, we celebrated the life and legacy of Lyn McNaught: one of the original founders of Horizons National and a Horizons champion for over 35 years. Lyn was a tireless advocate of teachers, and she reminded us that they are the heart of Horizons. Her passion resulted in the annual Lyn McNaught Teacher Awards, honoring outstanding educators who have excelled in Horizons classrooms by creating exemplary opportunities for young people. In 2023, the Lyn McNaught Legacy Fund was created to ensure we continue to celebrate educators in Lyn’s name for generations to come.

The Annual Lyn McNaught Teacher Award

We are proud to honor our 2023 Lyn McNaught Teacher Awardees, whose thoughtfulness and creativity sparks joy in Horizons classrooms!

Matt Azzaro

Horizons Greater Washington (D.C.)

“Matt works to create a classroom environment where each student is known. He caters his lessons to meet his students’ needs. Students trust him and are always encouraged to take risks and view mistakes as learning opportunities. Matt is also a dedicated swim instructor!”

Crystal Meashey

Horizons at Lancaster Country Day School (PA)

“Crystal strives to make space for all of her students’ voices to be heard. Her care for the students does not stop at the end of the school day; she is invested in them academically and emotionally. She enjoys guiding them in the creation of a project each summer and helping them find creative ways to help others.”

Erin Doyle

Horizons at Westminster School (CT)

“As a founding member of Horizons at Westminster, Erin has sought to ensure that students have access to curricula that supports both the attainment of grade-level standards and inspires joy in learning.”

Mary O’Shea

Horizons Atlanta at Georgia Tech (GA)

“Mary has taught almost every scholar in the Horizons program since our inception. The scholars look to Mary for advance, knowledge, and character and she never lets them down. She enjoys sharing her love of learning, and how children can learn to work together to encourage and support each other in small and large group settings.”

Horizons National Support in 2023

Alongside expanding to new schools and communities, one of the main roles of Horizons National is to support our growing Network of affiliates. In 2023, we partnered with peer organizations and members of the Network to facilitate professional development opportunities, support staff leadership, provide quality assurance, and offer the Horizons National Annual Conference. Throughout the year, our culture of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging was infused into every opportunity.

Affiliate Board Council

The Affiliate Board Council (ABC) was created to support Board members across the Horizons Network and provide a connection between affiliate Boards and the Horizons National Board. Each Horizons affiliate is required to have a Board representative on the ABC.

The ABC met four times in 2023. The meetings were focused around:

• Relationship building with the host schools

• Best practice and highlight sharing among peers

• Selecting the next ABC Co-Chair and affiliate representative on the HN Board

• Collection of Board demographic data to be used to establish a baseline for understanding trends over time, which will be available for local programs

Convening and Peer-to-Peer Learning

• Horizons National Annual Conference

In 2023, 163 attendees from across the Horizons Network came together for the Horizons National Annual Conference: four days of community building, collaboration, celebration, and learning together. Horizons Directors, Board members, program staff, and teachers presented their best practices, participated in small group activities, and engaged in brainstorming during sessions including:

✔ Advancing Social Justice in Fundraising by Engineering Learning

✔ Building an Equitable Community Through the Impact of Empathy & Belonging

✔ Youth Planning, Choice, & Reflection

✔ Building a Solidarity-Driven Family Engagement Practice

We were also proud to present our annual awards! Each year, Horizons National selects the winners of three Network-wide awards, intended to recognize individuals for their contributions to Horizons both locally and on a national level.

Andrew Clarkson Award

Established in 2016 and given in the spirit of its namesake, the Andrew Clarkson Award honors an individual for their longevity of commitment, embodiment of Horizons’ mission, and work that can be leveraged across the entire Horizons Network.

Francie Irvine Board Chair

Horizons at the Foote School (CT)

Horizons Leadership Award

This award recognizes a Horizons Director who contributes in special ways to their affiliate and the Horizons Network as a whole, and who embodies the spirit of Horizons.

Kim Avington

Executive Director of Horizons at the University School of Nashville (TN)

Mike DiMarco

Executive Director of Horizons Greater Washington (D.C.)

Horizons Spark Award

This award recognizes those who contribute in extraordinary and sometimes unexpected ways to the Horizons National Network.

Horizons Albuquerque Founders (NM)

• Professional Development Opportunities

One of the main roles of Horizons National is providing professional development and program guidance opportunities for the Network. In 2023, the Network came together for over 60 opportunities, working and learning as a community around topics including:

✔ Strength-Based Messaging in Action with Prosper Strategies

✔ Using STAR and Other Data to Inform Literacy Instruction

✔ Middle School Programming and Resources

✔ Best Practices in Fundraising

✔ Open advice around swimming instruction, field trips, math curriculum, and family engagement

Horizons National also offered monthly Network Calls, Topical Office Hours, and ongoing Communities of Practice as additional opportunities for peer-to-peer connection and professional learning.

•

Task Forces and Working Groups

Horizons National convened several Task Forces and Working Groups in 2023 to provide important input into Network-wide processes and plans.

✔ Network Task Force for Equity and Access

This Task Force, established in Fall 2020, works to identify and promote anti-racist, equitable, and inclusive practices, policies, and language in all Horizons programs. The group helps field questions, comments, and concerns related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB), and works closely with Horizons National to determine actions for HN and affiliates to take. The Task Force met quarterly in 2023 to review and provide updates to the Affiliate Policies, identify culturally responsive program resources, and help inform the development of Horizons’ Strength-Based Messaging Guide.

✔ Measurement Working Group

Every four years, Horizons National seeks input on our Network-wide data collection and measurement systems and tools. In 2023, a group of Horizons Directors, Board members, and staff began monthly meetings to review Horizons’ current measurement foci and assessment practices, consider alternatives, and provide recommendations for the use of existing and/or new tools to the greater Network. Currently, the group is focused on reconceptualizing impact.

✔ Conference Planning Working Group

To increase affiliate voice in the planning process, Horizons National convened a working group of Horizons Directors and staff to help plan our 2024 Annual Conference. The group met bi-weekly throughout the fall and winter to provide input into sessions, celebrations, scheduling, and the overall conference program of activities.

Horizons National Associate Board

The Horizons National Associate Board, established in 2018, was created by a group of young professionals who are either alumni and/or former volunteers of the program, to further the mission of Horizons National by providing a continuing sense of community and purpose for alumni throughout life. The Associate Board’s vision is to serve as a network of support for young professionals in the Horizons family. In 2023, the Horizons National Associate Board grew to include 13 young leaders from programs across the Network.

The Horizons National Board of Directors created a permanent board position for an alumni of Horizons, ensuring that student voice is centered in all organizational decisions. In December of 2023, two Horizons alumni were elected to serve on the Horizons National Board.

Zach Steinfeld, former volunteer, Chair

Da’Von Boyd, alumni of Horizons Hampton Roads Vice-Chair, Horizons National Board Member

Jazmin Reyes, alumni of Horizons at Greens Farms Academy, Treasurer

Mary Alas, alumni of Horizons

Greater Washington and Horizons VISTA

Joshua Dumas, alumni of Horizons at Greens Farms Academy, Horizons National Board Member

Athena Hamilton, alumni of Horizons Savannah

Ansel Maynard, alumni of Horizons Savannah

Leadership Transitions

Brenda Moreno, alumni of Horizons at Greens Farms Academy

Fredi Nielsen, alumni of Horizons at Greens Farms Academy

Jessica Nuñez, alumni of Horizons Colorado

Kate Reddy, volunteer at Horizons Atlanta at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School

Madeline Ross, alumni of Horizons at the Ethel Walker School

Tyre’k Swanigan, alumni of Horizons at St. Richard’s Episcopal School

In another year of changing workplace landscapes, Horizons National continued to support affiliates through leadership transitions at the Director and Board level.

26

Directors and Board members attended Horizons National’s Onboarding Institute at the 2023 Annual Conference

21

Executive and Site Directors received onboarding services and resources

34

Affiliates received individualized consultation around financial and organizational health

Quality Assurance

The Horizons Program Quality Assessment (PQA) ensures our students are receiving the highest quality learning opportunities possible. The PQA is a component of our Horizons Quality Band system and offers an in-depth look at the quality of programming at a given site, as well as a snapshot assessment of strengths and improvement opportunities for programs Network-wide. The PQA is focused on five specific sections: Safe Environment, Supportive Environment, Interactive Environment, Engaging Environment, and Supplemental Scales.

In 2023, 10 Horizons sites underwent a full-day PQA Assessment by a certified peer or self-assessor.

The average overall score for the 2023 cohort was 3.93 on a 5-point scale, indicating high program quality

A critical part of the PQA process is using the data to inform practice. In response to the 2022 PQA findings, Horizons National led two Communities of Practice (CoPs) focused on scales that were lowest scoring, “Student Planning, Choice, and Reflection” and “Emotion Coaching.” These time-bound groups benefited from sessions on these topics at the 2023 Annual Conference, pre-summer meetings that reviewed the concepts in these scales and use of the PQA for informal assessment of one’s own site(s), and meetings after the summer to discuss their experiences including promising practices, continued challenges, and useful resources. For example, Horizons at Francis Parker School (CA) shared how they used Second Step program resources successfully to support student social-emotional learning. Eight affiliates and sites participated in these CoPs.

VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)

In 2023, AmeriCorps VISTA members across the Horizons Network leveraged in-kind and cash resources, recruited and managed volunteers, supported Horizons students, and helped with important fundraising, marketing, and branding projects, like the creation of Horizons’ new tagline.

✔ When it came time to update our tagline at Horizons National, we wanted to capture as many voices as possible from across the Horizons Network. We created a short survey for our communities to share their input on what Horizons means to them, and the words and phrases they thought best represented their Horizons experience. Respondents answered questions like “If Horizons had a catch phrase, what would it be?” and “Why should everyone experience a summer at Horizons?” We were excited to receive nearly 100 responses from a variety of stakeholders including teachers and alumni, with almost 50% of responses from Horizons families!

✔ After all the input was gathered, we created a ballot for the entire Horizons community to vote on their favorite tagline. Through both an online ballot and in-person voting during Horizons’ Annual Conference, over 140 votes were collected from students, families, alumni, Directors, Board members, teachers, and partners.

We are thrilled to share that the Horizons Network’s new tagline is:

Inspiring Learning, Building Community, Nurturing Joy

Horizons Giving Day

Horizons National hosts Horizons Giving Day each year, a joyful day of fundraising for all programs across the Network. Since launching the event in 2015, Horizons National has invested more than $800,000 in Horizons Giving Day, making it possible for more than $12.6 million to be raised from 2015-2023.

Key Results in 2023:

$1,693,699 raised Network-wide

2,997 donors

3,123 donations

$542 average gift size (over 2x average gift size of other giving day events)

7% increase over 2022

Horizons Giving Day funds raised increased by 7% over 2022, confirming that the event continues to be a powerful fundraising vehicle for the Network.

Network Financials

The Horizons Network remained financially strong in 2023, raising over $30 million from diverse funding sources and receiving nearly $9 million in in-kind support.

Other Expenses

Affiliate Expenses by Major Category

Non-Salaried Staff

Salaried Staff

Cost Per Student

The Network-wide cost per student was $3,597 in 2023.

Horizons National does not collect dues from affiliates, relying on funding from from individual and private donors, foundations, and corporations. 2023 gave us an opportunity to rethink fundraising at Horizons National, and we look forward to increased activity in 2024.

2023 was a year of records

for the Horizons Network.

Through all of the preparation, learning, sharing, and networking, one thing remained constant: the joy our students, families, and staff feel to be part of Horizons. Horizons is more than a program - it is a community, built on powerful relationships and partnerships with the common goal of increasing equity in education. We are honored to support students and their families, and to share the joy of learning and community-building at Horizons with more young people every year.

One Horizons Albuquerque family said it best: The connection you make with this program is like no other. Horizons = Family.

VISION (the future we seek):

Our vision is a future in which every child thrives.

120 Post Road West, Suite 202 Westport, CT 06880 203.594.7040

www.horizonsnational.org

MISSION (how Horizons works to get there):

We advance educational equity by building long-term partnerships with students, families, communities, and schools to create experiences outside of school that inspire the joy of learning.

THANK YOU to each and every member of our Horizons community for your commitment to our students and our mission.