May 05, 2026
The Learning Doesn't Stop When School Lets Out
How Friends of the Children - Eastern Oregon keeps kids learning, connected, and ready for fall, all summer long.
The last school bells of the year have rung in Imbler, Union, and La Grande. Backpacks are in closets. Days are longer, schedules are looser, and for the 16 kids in our first cohort, summer is wide open.
That's exactly why our work doesn't stop.
Summer is when a lot of children lose ground. Without the daily rhythm of school, reading skills slip, math facts fade, and the confidence a child built all year can quietly drain away by September. The kids who lose the most ground are usually the ones with the fewest supports at home to fall back on.
Our answer is simple: keep showing up.
What summer looks like here
Our paid, professional mentors (Friends) spend time with each child every single week, all year round. School being out doesn't change that. If anything, summer gives Friends more room to do what they do best.
At the Clubhouse in La Grande, that means books, games, crafts, and plenty of time in the cozy reading nook. Out in the community, it means library visits, time outdoors, and the kind of everyday experiences that keep young minds curious. Friends build reading and learning into the fun, so kids are practicing skills without it ever feeling like homework.
This summer, our Friends are joined by volunteer tutors who are helping make sure our youth don't fall behind during the months off. More caring adults, more one-on-one time, more kids walking into their classrooms in September ready to go.
The momentum is real
This spring, 100% of our youth advanced to the next grade level.
For kids this young, that's what a strong foundation looks like. Our job this summer is to protect that momentum, one library visit, one Clubhouse afternoon, one week of showing up at a time. Friends of the Children has spent more than 30 years learning what helps children succeed in school, and the answer has never changed: a consistent, caring adult who doesn't go away when the calendar turns.
That's the promise. 12+ years, no matter what. Summer included.
Help us keep summer strong
Summer programming takes books, supplies, activities, and time. Because we're a brand-new chapter, every contribution goes a long way in building a strong foundation for the kids of Union County.
If you'd like to be part of a child's summer, you can give today at friendseasternoregon.org/donate.
Thank you for believing in these kids, in June just as much as in September.