Today, Teachers in the Parks (TIPs) was named a finalist for the National Summer Learning Association’s Award for Summer Excellence--an honor bestowed upon only seven other summer learning programs in the nation! TIPs founder, Matt Hathaway was joined by the US Department of Education's Adam Schott, the National Summer Learning Association's Christi Kobus Rokicki, the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Eli Downie, Pennsylvania State Senator Judy Schwank and Exeter's Superintendent Christy Haller, as well as dozens of Exeter and Antietam students and teachers who are participating in TIPs this summer at the Antietam Pool.

TIPs, which is a learning program that provides learning opportunities for elementary-aged students to retain math and literacy skills over the summer, was founded by Hathaway, an Exeter Township School District teacher and administrator. As a new elementary teacher, Hathaway founded TIPs in 2004 as he sought a fun and community-based solution to help students prevent the “summer slide,” which is the tendency for students to lose academic skills over the summer when school is not in session. Since 2004, TIPs has grown from a handful of students meeting in Hathaway’s backyard to hundreds of enrolled students meeting during the summer at community pools and playgrounds around Berks County. Throughout its growth during the past 18 years, TIPs’ mission has remained the same: Provide high-quality instruction by certified teachers in low-pressure environments where kids would normally play and hang out during the summer.

Our students and community are so very fortunate and proud to have Mr. Hathaway and his team as a dedicated and visionary teacher, leader and partner in education! Our warmest and deepest congratulations to Mr. Hathaway and his TIPs team for this incredible honor and deserving recognition at the national level!