Texas Wesleyan University helps kids continue learning during summer break

Some children who live near Fort Worth's Texas Wesleyan University campus are getting free summertime tutoring.

The one-on-one training is focused on reading and writing, and every student there has a different reason for needing extra help.

Although summer vacation is a welcomed break from the classroom, it can sometimes take a toll on students who face challenges. The collaboration at TWU is providing the perfect answer to that dilemma.

The ELITE institute is a collaboration between Fort Worth ISD, Texas Wesleyan University and Fort Worth SPARC, an after-school program advocate. A group of elementary school students attending a camp for learning on a college campus.

"As long as you're engaging with the kids, they're going to feed off of you and present that energy,” said instructor Mary James Redmond.

The students are selected by school administrators. They're from communities around the TWU campus and among those who face a variety of challenges.

Khloe Brandon is battling leukemia. It is a diagnosis that her mother says has caused her to miss quite a bit of school.

"This is perfect. It helps her get caught up if she needs to be caught up,” said parent Nicole Brandon. “It helps her get where she needs to be. If she's good, it's just going to benefit her even more."

Fort Worth ISD School Trustee Tobi Jackson says it's about reinforcing literacy skills in a fun way.

"These summer months are when kids can slide,” Jackson said. “And 80 plus percent of kids last year in this program, the ELITE Institute didn't slide. This year, our goal is a hundred percent."

The setting for the camp is a positive factor in and of itself. For many of the students, it is their first time on a college campus.