Children pass by a self-driving GM Bolt EV during a media event in San Francisco, California, US on November 28, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

SAN FRANCISCO -- US San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced on Wednesday the launch of the Summer Together Initiative, a newly formed coalition of the city's community organizations to offer a combination of free in-person and virtual learning experiences for public school students this summer.

After nearly a year of not being in the classroom, San Francisco's public school students have fallen behind academically and emotionally. Mental health experts report that children of all ages are experiencing severe social, emotional, and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, the announcement said.

These learning and wellness issues are significantly magnified in African American, Latino, Pacific Islander, low-income, and English Language Learner children and families. Summer Together aims to help San Francisco students impacted by learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic engage in meaningful, fun, and academic integrated programming and experiences.

The program aims to serve all public school students with a focus on supporting the city's highest-need students and families. In addition to public resources, this initiative is backed by a $25 million philanthropic gift from Crankstart.

TogetherSF, a community organization, will be providing administrative and operational support for the Summer Together Initiative.

"Our children have truly suffered during this pandemic, and we need to do everything we can to make up for lost time," said Breed. "Summer Together will support their mental health, their academic needs, and just get them to be back together with other children again."

This year, the city's summer offerings will focus on continuity of learning and will expand beyond traditional programs to include curriculum to combat learning loss, ensure credit recovery for high school students, and provide comprehensive support for families.