SPHERE at Watkinson
A Watkinson School Community Program | 50+ Years of Service
SPHERE: Then & Now
SPHERE at Watkinson
Five Weeks - A Lifetime of Difference
SPHERE is a nonprofit summer tutorial program, at Watkinson School, offering the kind of individualized attention that stops the summer slide in its tracks.
Summer Learning
Every summer, 70 Hartford and East Hartford children arrive on our campus facing the same risk: without intervention, months of learning can disappear — and for children already navigating achievement gaps, that loss compounds year after year.
SPHERE changes that story.
Small, personalized classes in literacy, math, science, art, and technology meet students where they are. The results speak for themselves: many SPHERE students jump a full grade level in math and/or reading by summer's end.
Beyond Academics
Students build confidence through a student-led Spirit Week, a talent show, field trips, interest-based Discovery Clubs, Mystery Science Programs, and the Kickstand Bike Program. They arrive at school in September ready — not just academically, but as whole kids, excited to try new things..
Tuition FREE
SPHERE asks families only for a small registration fee — the rest is covered entirely by donors. The day runs 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with lunch and snacks included, because a child's access to a great summer shouldn't depend on what their family can afford. Every enrichment activity, every meal, every teacher's salary, and every book in a child's hands is made possible by people like you. Without that support, there is no program.
