DURHAM, N.C. – While many kids are excited for summer fun in the sun, research shows that elementary school students on average lose nearly 40% of their school-year gains during the summer break, according to the American Educational Research Journal.
Learning can be tough in general for some kids, especially those who work through disabilities and other challenges.
Harrison Gattis, 10, of Durham is a fierce advocate, not just for summer learning, but for accessibility and inclusion in schools, something he became passionate about due to his disability.
Harrison has muscular dystrophy and another metabolic condition. He has been in a wheelchair since he was 5, has intravenous infusions twice a week at home, uses oxygen and eats via a g-tube.
“I don't really know a lot about muscular dystrophy because I'm not friends with my dystrophy,” Harrison said. “But I do know that it's a genetic condition that makes my muscles wiggly, jiggly. So, I was born with it, and I use a wheelchair, but I still can walk. I have several surgeries, but I'm just like everyone else.”
Harrison’s mom, Sarah Gattis, said the pandemic forced Harrison, his twin sister and older brother to take their school classes virtually. After Harrison tried virtual learning, she says he fell in love with it.
“His brother and sister could not wait to get back in the classroom, but Harrison just thrived on it," she said. "A big thing that I noticed is, during surgeries when he was in school, he struggled to get an education. They didn't accommodate him at home. And so homeschool was like kind of an obvious transition for him.”
Today, Harrison is homeschooled and part of a co-op where he goes to classes two days a week at their local YMCA, then supplements his learning with an online education platform called Outschool.
“What I love about it is it's a wide variety of so many classes and the teachers have just such a different style of teaching. I'm taking so many classes, I'm taking a quilling class, a Black Lives Matter course and even a math class,” Harrison said.
Kids ages 3-18 have the option of more than 150,000 online courses offered by Outschool, which was created in 2017.
Amir Nathoo, the co-founder and head of Outschool, says the purpose of the lessons is to supplement children’s education and provide support for all, whether that’s homeschoolers or kids who take in-person classes.
“We're very focused on inclusivity and access in education, and there are many barriers to access,” Nathoo said. “We also work with many families who have individualized education programs and really specialized learning needs. And some, like Harrison, with medical challenges that they're seeking to overcome that make it very challenging to attend normal classes.”
He says the average cost is about $14 per hour, but Outschool is offering a discount to people inspired by Harrison’s story. Enter code GATTIS20 for $20 off an Outschool credit. Each time that code is used, the company will give Harrison $30 in Outschool credit as a kickback to his inclusive learning advocacy.
When he's not learning, Harrison loves volunteering. His current goal is to raise money to help fulfill wishes for 70 area children through Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina.
You can follow Harrison’s journey and advocacy on his Instagram page, @4paws4harrison – which features his service dog, Miles.