Kingdom Life Preparatory Academy's Thrive 360 summer camp combines reading, STEM, and etiquette to help students avoid the "summer slide," which is the loss of academic skills and knowledge that can occur during the summer month s.WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW Thrive 360 summer camp helps Tallahassee students beat the 'summer slide'Kingdom Life Preparatory Academy's Principal, Dr. Marcella Torres, says the goal is to send students back to school with stronger skills and more confidence."It put our kids at a different place where they get ready to start back academically, so no sliding, but a progression and maybe some skills that's learned and gained," Torres says.For parent Vee Stephens, the camp has already made a difference.Each of her three children gained something different from the experience, from stronger reading skills to lessons in etiquette."A lot of children, especially in the community, don't know how to sit at a table properly. They don't understand what it's like to go out to a restaurant. So to have the girls be pearls and and have the boys be bow ties and and hear my kids talk about that stuff, that's that's what's cool for me," Stephens said.Stephens said her oldest has become a stronger reader, while her daughter has grown more confident, expressing herself through art and music.Torres says the lessons from Thrive 360 do not have to end when summer does. Kingdom Life Preparatory Academy plans to continue the activities through its after-school program, which is open to students outside the school."So even if a student is not a part of the school, but the parent wants them to get a part of what we're offering, they can become a part of that after-school program and still will be able to receive what it is that we are offering," Torres said.If you're already thinking ahead to next summer, you'll have a chance to learn more about the program this Friday, July 31.Kingdom Life Preparatory Academy is hosting its Summer Camp Extravaganza at Kingdom Life Church beginning at 6:30 p.m., where students will showcase what they've learned over the past several weeks.The school's connection to the community doesn't end with summer camp. Kingdom Life Preparatory Academy is celebrating 15 years of serving Tallahassee families and will host another community gathering on Saturday, August 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kingdom Life Church.Both events are open to the community and will celebrate the end of summer while highlighting the school's year-round programs.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less