Creating meaningful, inclusive summer learning experiences that support the whole child is central to Camp Southern Ground’s mission. In this blog, Chief Program Officer Matty Cook shares insights on receiving the National Summer Learning Association’s Summer Learning Legacy Award and what this recognition signals about the role of summer in youth development nationwide.
I’m proud to share that Camp Southern Ground has been awarded the National Summer Learning Association’s most prestigious honor: the Summer Learning Legacy Award. Presented at the NSLA Summer Solutions Leadership Forum in Fairhope, Alabama, this national award was presented in recognition of our summer camp program and the inclusion model we’ve developed here.
The Summer Learning Legacy Award honors organizations that demonstrate long-term impact, innovation, and leadership in advancing high-quality summer learning experiences for young people. Camp Southern Ground was selected for our commitment to inclusive programming that supports neurodivergent children, typically developing children, children from military families, and children from families with greater financial need. Our model centers on social-emotional learning, character development, and belonging as core outcomes of the camp experience.
The NSLA frames summer not as a break from learning, but as a scalable, bipartisan strategy for improving outcomes for children and communities. The central questions guiding this agency and the forum include how summer can be leveraged to drive learning and innovation, improve youth well-being and belonging at scale, strengthen the future workforce pipeline, and activate cross-sector partnerships that support families and communities.
At the forum, Dr. Monique Chisolm, Under Secretary of Education at the Smithsonian Museums, captured the spirit of this work perfectly when she said, “It takes a village, and remember, we are all villagers!” That message aligns deeply with how we see our role at Camp Southern Ground – as part of a larger community committed to supporting young people.
We are grateful for the National Summer Learning Association and all they do to drive inclusive, meaningful summer learning experiences that support the whole child. Receiving this award positions Camp Southern Ground as a partner and national thought leader in the summer camp industry, in social-emotional learning, and in the broader summer learning field. For me, it affirms that the work our team does every day is not only effective locally, but relevant to the national conversation about youth development and education.
Learn more about Summer Camp at Camp Southern Ground »
Learn more about the National Summer Learning Association »
