What We Do
Since our founding in 1999, Horizons Hampton Roads has fostered the aspirations and potential of thousands of K-12 students in Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach through high-quality summer and year-round academic and enrichment programs.
Horizons serves over 400 students across our 3 sites each summer, and operates a year-round high school program, “LaunchPad.” Programs help ensure our students are on target to graduate, prepared for college or other adult training, and looking forward to meaningful careers and fulfilling lives.
Horizons makes a long-term commitment to our students, inviting them to return each summer to continue advancing their skills and personal development. Many continue for 8 or more years! Research has shown that consistent participation in high quality summer programming is critical for reducing the achievement gap. The summer has been called the “time of greatest inequity” due to differences in opportunities for learning and enrichment between low-income and higher-income youth (National Summer Learning Association, 2014).
We are also committed to “building community first”—our charge each summer—as we welcome students back to rekindle friendships and reconnect with our dedicated staff. We boast an 87% retention rate, 90% average attendance, and over 80% teacher retention year to year. Horizons is a FAMILY! Here, children experience the joy of learning and a sense of belonging. We teach and practice important social-emotional skills, like empathy, honesty, joint-problem solving, and effective communication. Students play significant roles in their classrooms and larger community. An investment in our students advances the next generation's thriving leaders and caring citizens.
In 2024, we created a new program pillar for Environmental Stewardship, with the support of several local and regional foundations. Each summer, students explore factors impacting our natural world. Classrooms develop and carry out meaningful projects related to protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed and neighborhoods in our local community. We welcome you to join us in taking meaningful steps each day to use resources wisely and refrain from damaging them.