Drumming, jumping jacks and especially reading energizes Kamauru Johnson.
“It’s totally rewarding,” he said. “I love hanging out with the kids.”
What You Need To Know
- Kamauru Johnson is the executive director at Horizons Brooklyn, a nonprofit organization that helps underserved children in and out of the classroom
- Each summer, Horizons Brooklyn blends school and camp. The goal is to prevent summer learning loss
- Johnson started with the organization 11 years ago and worked his way up
Johnson is the executive director of Horizons Brooklyn, a program that aims to prevent summer learning loss, which is when students regress academically after a season away from school.
“If they haven’t been consolidating what they’ve learned, developing skills, they really do come back at a disadvantage to their peers,” Johnson said.
This is a hybrid of school and camp. It serves students who qualify for free school lunch, or are at an economic disadvantage.
“The kids who suffer the most are the ones who don’t have summer learning opportunities over the summer,” he said. “So it’s important for equity reasons that we make this accessible for everybody.”
That comes as story time and discussion, which also includes music, sports and field trips.
“The more you see in the city, um, the better,” Johnson said. “And that helps them to feel more positive when they come back to school.”
That positivity for Johnson started 11 years ago when he joined the organization.
He was a school counselor throughout the year. Johnson started as a reading specialist at Horizons Brooklyn and worked his way up.
“You see how they feel ownership over the building,” Johnson said. “They really love being in the space. And so when I saw that, I was like ‘I’m hooked.’”
Now, Johnson visits classrooms and checks in with the kids each day. And even though it can be draining, he says it’s fulfilling.
“What better way to spend your summer than having a good time with people that you love and care about and putting something important on the learning side,” Johnson said.
For helping students stay on track, Kamauru Johnson is our New Yorker of the Week.