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NEWS RELEASE
Date: April 29, 2026
Governor Kotek Announces Summer Learning Grants to Strengthen Literacy
Tens of thousands of students across Oregon will benefit from summer learning focused on improving reading
Salem, OR – Governor Tina Kotek today announced the recipients of the 2026–28 State Summer Learning Grants, a $35 million annual investment established by House Bill 2007 in 2025 to expand access to high-quality summer learning programs that strengthen literacy and support student success.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to build strong reading skills,” Governor Kotek said. “These summer programs give students the time, support, and real-world experiences they need to grow their confidence and stay on track for success.”
These grants are designed to serve tens of thousands of students who will benefit most from additional learning time. The funding will help schools, districts, Education Service Districts (ESDs), Tribes, and community partners deliver engaging, hands-on learning experiences that build essential reading and writing skills.
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) will administer the grants that prioritize communities with the greatest need and programs that combine evidence-based literacy instruction with applied learning. Rather than distributing funds uniformly, the state used a competitive process emphasizing student need and program quality. Multi-year funding will help local partners plan ahead and deliver consistent, high-quality programming for students. ODE will monitor grantees and ongoing funding will be contingent on performance and compliance with program requirements.
“Summer learning creates space for students to strengthen essential skills while also experiencing the joy and relevance of learning,” said ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams. “These programs help young people stay connected, build confidence, and continue growing through experiences that are both academically meaningful and engaging.”
The State Summer Learning Grants will support programming from spring 2026 through September 2028, expanding opportunities for communities across Oregon to provide sustained literacy enrichment and meaningful summer learning experiences. A full list of award recipients can be found here: State Summer Learning Grant Awards 2026-28.
Student Impact
Students across Oregon consistently report positive impacts from summer learning programs, including increased confidence, stronger academic skills, and a greater sense of connection to school and community. Here is what some of them had to say:
“[The summer program] helped me learn and understand things better.” — 2025 Student Voice Summer Survey
“One of the best parts of Summer Bridge was getting to meet my teachers and new classmates before school started. It made me feel way more comfortable walking into high school on the first day. … Overall, it made me feel prepared, like I already belong here.” — Incoming ninth-grade student, David Douglas School District
“This has been a very wonderful experience. I have never been to summer school before this, so I am so grateful to the teachers for organizing summer school the way that they did this year, and I am also really thankful they put in the effort that they did to make us feel safe and have real conversations with us and for being so kind to us.” - Response from the 2025 Student Voice Summer Survey
Learn more about Oregon’s summer learning programs, click here.
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