Horizons at University School of Nashville

University School of Nashville was invited by Horizons National to establish the first Horizons Program in Tennessee on our campus. Horizons is a transformative, educational summer enrichment program serving low-income public school students with a broad range of academic abilities.

USN Horizons supports children from Carter Lawrence Elementary Magnet School who stay with us throughout their elementary and middle school years, adding a grade level of 15 students each summer until the program serves 120 rising first through eighth graders. Horizons students will spend six weeks each summer on our campus engaged in a program that blends high quality academics (taught by experiencedteachers) with cultural enrichment (such as art, music, drama, and field trips) and confidence-buildingactivities. A key to the success of this program is that students are given an opportunity to attend for eight consecutive summers.

USN Horizons is a true public-private collaboration. It offers a partnership with purpose, creating a deep connection between school communities that typically operate independently. The public school principal and teachers help select students for Horizons; public school teachers join their independent school counterparts in teaching in the summer; and USN Horizons shares assessments and other information with our public school partner(s). Because the program requires long-term commitments from families andpartner schools, it reinforces achievement for low-income students, offering activities that build culturalbridges. The Horizons partnership nurtures personal experiences that go far beyond traditional communityservice.

Horizons National has more than 40 years of documented results for the Program. Horizons National believes it is important to start early, so our program begins with a class of rising first graders. Our goal is tokeep them with us until they finish eighth grade, and the historical retention rate is very high – 84%. 95% ofHorizons 9th grade graduates continue to college.

In addition to the academic goals, each Horizons student learns how to swim, building confidence and a desire to achieve inside and outside the classroom.