DID YOU KNOW…that every Summit student goes to Y.A.L.E.?!? No, not the university, but Yet Another Learning Experience (Y.A.L.E.)! Three components make up Summit’s longstanding Y.A.L.E. program: physical activity, community outreach/service learning, and financial literacy units facilitated through Junior Achievement volunteers. Summit graduates and former students often mention Y.A.L.E. as a favorite Summit memory or experience.
“Y.A.L.E builds well-rounded students and allows them to learn beyond the four walls of our classroom,” says fourth grade teacher and Y.A.L.E. coordinator Shelby Paradise. “The experience creates core memories with their classmates and teachers while learning how to be a good citizen. Y.A.L.E. is such a fun bonus to being a teacher at Summit because I get to see the students in a different setting that goes beyond academics and that they hopefully remember for the rest of their life!”
Summit students just “graduated” from Y.A.L.E. 2025-26:
- Pod 1 enjoyed Little Sports Torts’ “The Shell” indoor play space, hosted the Socktober drive, and explored financial concepts of families, neighborhoods, money, and needs/wants.
- Pod 2 hit the ice and learned broomball at ImOn Ice, sang at local senior living homes, and examined economic exchange and entrepreneurship.
- Pod 3 played pickleball at Smithfield Tennis and Pickleball Center, coordinated The Giving Tree holiday gift/clothing collection for a local family in need, and learned about starting a business and making smart decisions about managing money.Special thanks to:
- Junior Achievement volunteers for teaching about money, saving, investing, and more!
- Field trip drivers for taking students to community outreach and physical activities!
- Summit’s PTO for helping with the clothing and gift collection drives!