Project Title: Summer Reading Program 2024
Project Snapshot:
The Summer Reading Program is a formalized literacy program bridging school years, preventing “summer slide,” building a literacy-rich community, and encouraging patrons to engage with a plethora of community and educational resources. Library summer reading programs have been universally shown to prevent summer learning loss, an issue that disproportionally affects youth from low-income households. Each summer an estimated 43 million children in the U.S. miss out on expanded learning opportunities that could prevent them from falling behind. During the summer, most youth lose about two to three months’ worth of reading skills, a loss commonly known as “summer slide,” with youth from families with low income losing even more. Additionally, summer learning losses stack up from year to year, causing students to fall further and further behind, ultimately endangering their chances of high school graduation. More than half of the achievement gap between youth from lower- and higher-income homes can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities.
The Franklin County Community Foundation (FCCF), a regional foundation of TFEC, conducts an annual competitive grantmaking program for nonprofit organizations serving Franklin County. FCCF seeks to support programs and services that have the potential for the greatest impact on the quality of life and positive outcomes for individuals and families living in Franklin County.
Success to Come:
HMFL’s Summer Reading Program is designed to encourage children, teens, and adults to read during the summer months, preventing summer slide, creating a literacy-rich community, and inviting patrons to engage with the plethora of additional resources available at the library, including educational programming and human services. The program is formalized and incentivized with reading logs, weekly drawings, literacy activities, and rewards. Summer reading programs are an important tool for preventing the summer slide, promoting literacy and academic success, and fostering a love of reading. The statistics show that these programs can have a significant impact on children’s reading skills and academic outcomes, particularly for students who may be at a higher risk of falling behind during the summer months.
Grant Award:
$5,000.00
County Served:
Franklin
Total Individuals Served:
260
Work Taking Place:
9.1.2023-8.31.2024
