YMCA presents Power Scholars results: 398 students served, summer gains reported

Kelly Knapp, director of youth educational programs for the YMCA of Central Virginia, told the Lynchburg City School Board that the YMCA’s Power Scholars Academy served 398 Lynchburg students at R.S. Payne and Heritage elementary school sites this summer. “On average, they made academic gains of 3 plus months in 19 short days,” Knapp said, and she described the program as free to families and aligned with the Virginia SOLs and the Science of Reading.

The program provided four weeks of full-day instruction for students in grades K–5, combining 90 minutes of daily literacy and math instruction with small-group, data-driven lessons and afternoon enrichment in STEAM, social‑emotional learning and physical fitness. Knapp said teachers and administrators recommended students based on below-level reading and math performance and that academic growth was measured with a pre‑ and post‑test and family surveys.

Knapp told the board average daily attendance was 77 percent and that 100 percent of participating families reported feeling “valued as partners,” while 91 percent of students surveyed said the program increased their confidence. She said Lynchburg City Schools provided buildings, staffing and transportation while the YMCA delivered the curriculum and that continued growth depends on funding; this year the program set a goal of serving 500 students but enrolled slightly over 400 and served 398.

Board members asked follow-up questions about capacity and committee coordination; Knapp said Power Scholars has operated in Lynchburg for multiple years and can expand with additional funding. The board did not take formal action on the presentation.

The program’s reported metrics and the YMCA’s description of staffing, alignment to SOLs and family engagement were provided directly during the presentation and are the basis for the figures above.