Horizons at the San Francisco Friends School

Horizons at SFFS has partnered with Marshall Elementary School, Buena Vista/Horace Mann School, and The Mission Preparatory School to create a kindergarten through eighth grade public-private education partnership that bridges the achievement and opportunity gaps for students who are at the greatest risk of falling behind. The heart of a Horizons summer is an exemplary academic program that supports a cohort of students in reading, writing, math and science, paired with swimming lessons, field trips, sports and enrichment activities in the performing and visual arts. The program also includes year-round engagement featuring family events, enrichment activities and regular visits to and communication with students' schools and teachers.

Horizons students begin their days in academic classes that include literacy, science and math. The curriculum also includes music, art and social-emotional learning, as well as swimming instruction and other organized physical activity. Each classroom has two experienced teachers, the program staff includes a reading specialist and the teacher-child ratio is one-to-five. Horizons at SFFS serves a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack every day, and offers swimming lessons and field trips throughout the six-week program.

Each year the previous summer's students return and we will add an additional class of 17 kindergarten students, growing the program through the eighth grade and tracking students' progress throughout. This coming summer (2018) the Horizons program will serve 86 students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Horizons is housed at and fiscally sponsored by the San Francisco Friends School. The program raises funds independent of the school to cover staffing, programming, field trips and other costs.