Cool Summer Experience (CSE)

Service Description

We believe students learn best by talking and doing! Our award-winning summer program, Cool Summer Experience, for rising second through twelfth graders combines creativity + curiosity + fun. Each week’s adventures align with CLE’s focus areas: Environmental Citizenship: Our certified teachers utilize an inquiry and project-based approach to equip students with the tools and desire to build a more just and sustainable future. The Young Explorers (grades 2/3) focus on the fundamentals of sustainability practices and enjoy native plant gardens that double as learning laboratories. The Green Team (grades 4/5) focuses on healthy soil and visits the Greentown Grows community garden each week for stewardship and service learning. The Planet Protectors (grades 6/7) uncover the mysteries of the local branches of the Lake Michigan watershed and sharpen their advocacy skills. Career Pathways My Pathway students (grades 8-12) build confidence as they explore career options and ways to best share their gifts with the world. Creative Expressions: CLE’s Humanities Team included experiences and emerging professionals that span the range of the humanities fields. Team members may teach photography, music, poetry, geography, history, filmmaking, dance, and more. Past projects have included a mural, upcycled structural art, photography displays, and short films and music videos. Social Connections: Each week, students enjoy exciting eco-excursions, unstructured outdoor play, and Fun Fridays that include an afternoon at Waukegan Beach. Our unique blend of authentic opportunities for peer engagement and explicit instruction in cultural, social, and emotional literacies gives families plenty of reason to celebrate! CLE's Celebration of Our Learning (COOL) is our signature event which draws families, friends, and partners to watch the children showcase their summer discoveries. The interactive celebration includes class presentations, a Community Fair and refreshments. Past fairs have included a Farmer's Market featuring produce grown by students in the CLE garden, a Waukegan oral history digital exhibition, and even a song about water protection and conversation co-written by the students and a professional musician. As part of their capstone project, Career Pathways My Pathway (CPMP) students dress and act in their future career roles at a station they designed and built, giving mini-presentations about a subject related to their profession such as "How to Take the Fear