HUMANA HEALTHY HORIZONS DONATES $150,000 TO YMCA OF METROPOLITAN DALLAS LEARNING ACADEMY PROGRAM
DALLAS (December 15, 2020) – Humana Healthy Horizons has made a $150,000 donation to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas to support YMCA Learning Academies. This donation, the largest the Y Learning Academy division has ever received, will allow Learning Academies to operate if needed in the Spring, and primarily will enable the YMCA to open multiple new Summer Learning Academies in 2021. This will help to bridge the learning gap that traditionally happens when school is out in the summer, made worse this year by the learning loss many children are facing due to the COVID pandemic.
YMCA Summer Learning Academies are designed to give rising first through fifth grade students (chosen by the principal at the host location) academic enrichment programming to prevent summer learning loss. Summer learning loss can negatively impact students and cause them to struggle when they return to school in the Fall. Summer Learning Academies help students build confidence and positive relationships.
Students have the opportunity to learn and have fun through hands-on activities, experiments, swimming, field trips, and more. Key components to the success of the Learning Academies also include pre and post testing and carefully crafted math and literacy lessons for morning sessions, led by credentialed teachers in the host district, along with parent engagement workshops.
"We are so grateful to Humana Healthy Horizons for this generous gift. Research shows that two-thirds of the income-based achievement gap is attributed to summer learning loss. We already know there will be the traditional summer learning loss, but this year, the learning loss due to the COVID pandemic will be an added layer, making this summer program more crucial than ever before,” said Jodi Newman, School Age Services Executive Director, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. “The Dallas YMCA has been offering this type of academy for years – that’s why we were able to pivot to expand this service so quickly in March when the pandemic began. Through the gift from Humana Healthy Horizons, the YMCA will be able to expand how many children we serve, ensuring more than 150 kids will get the academic and mental health support they need throughout the summer months.”
“It is an honor for Humana and its Medicaid organization, Humana Healthy Horizons, to support students though the Y’s Learning Academy Program – especially given the reality of the traditional summer learning gap, now intensified by the pandemic,” said John Barger, SVP, and President of Humana Healthy Horizons. “We know that an investment in academic achievement during this critical time will leave a practical and long-lasting impact on students’ physical and mental health and ultimately support the community at large.”
The locations of the Summer Learning Academy will be determined in the months ahead based on need. To learn more, please visit ymcadallas.org.
About the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Founded in 1885, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas serves thousands of men, women and children each year, regardless of age, income or background. Anchored in communities across North Texas, the Dallas Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. The Y ensures all people have equitable access to the essentials needed to become thriving members of the community. Daily, the Y bridges and fills individual and community needs as a catalyst for impactful change. The YMCA makes accessible the support and opportunities that empower people and communities to learn, grow and thrive, with three areas of impact: Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. To learn more or get involved, please visit www.ymcadallas.org.
About Humana Healthy Horizons
In 2020, Humana launched its new Medicaid brand, Humana Healthy Horizons™. With this new brand, we are committed to continue demonstrating our strong ability to manage complex populations and create solutions that lead to a better quality of life for our members. Nationally, we serve Medicaid enrollees through Medicaid Managed Care (MMC), Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) programs, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Financial Alignment Initiative Dual Demonstrations, MA, D‐SNPs, and PDPs.
Humana has served Medicaid populations continuously for more than two decades and currently manages Medicaid benefits for nearly 800,000 members nationally. We have developed expertise providing care management, care planning, and specialized clinical management for the complex needs of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); Medicaid Expansion; aged, blind, or disabled (ABD); and dual eligible populations within a social supports‐based framework. Through these years of experience, we have also developed significant expertise in integrating physical health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and social services and supports for a whole-person centered approach to improve the health and well‐being of our members and the communities we serve.
Humana Healthy Horizons is a Medicaid Product of Humana Health Plan, Inc.
