During the hot summer months in Prescott, Wisconsin, something very cool is going on at the public library. For eight weeks in June and July, the Prescott Public Library opens its doors to children and youth of all ages to participate in various activities that keep kids entertained and learning during their break from school.
See what kinds of other programs the library offers
The library is planning a range of events this year around the theme “Make a Splash: Read,” including a pirate day, shark trivia, science experiments with water, and a story time that will teach kids about keeping Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers healthy. “One thing we try to do at every event is have a variety of ways to approach something—so there will be something for kids to do with their hands, a game for them to play, things like that,” says programming specialist Becky Arenivar. There are events for all ages of kids and families, but most of the activities cater to elementary-age students.
The kids who participate also get a reading record to keep track of the minutes and hours they spend reading during the week, instead of the number of books they complete. “This way all levels of readers can feel like they are on a level playing field,” says Arenivar. Students who complete the reading log get to choose a free book as a reward and are entered into a prize drawing for gift certificates from local business.
Download a reading log for your child to use
The program also engages teens with their “volunteen” program, in which high school students get a chance to help out with the activities and events. The volunteens spend a few hours getting ready for the activities by preparing materials and learning how to lead the craft or game taking place the next day.
The volunteens love having the added responsibility of taking the lead and helping the other kids. “Last year, another staff member and I were putting together a puppet show and the teens were so excited about it that they took it over and did it themselves,” says Arenivar. “It was much more fun for the kids watching it because the teens were very enthusiastic and having so much fun doing it.”
By engaging youth of all ages in their community, the Prescott Public Library is building several Developmental Assets with their program. “One of the Developmental Assets is reading for pleasure-—it is an important part of growing up and becoming a productive, responsible community member and the summer library program really promotes reading for pleasure,” says Arenivar. “The library is kind of in a special place. Schools have to cover a certain amount of skill building and curriculum, but the library is not trying to get kids to a certain skill level, we’re just trying to get them excited about reading.”
See a list of all the Developmental Assets
One of the things the summer reading program is trying to do is counteract the learning loss that students face when on a long summer break from the classroom. “I want to make sure parents and community members understand that even though we do a lot of fun things with the summer reading program, it has a lot of benefits for the people who participate in it-—it’s fun, but learning happens,” says Arenivar.
Thanks to the Prescott Public Library’s reading program, the community will benefit all summer long. Kids are happy because they’re being entertained with fun activities; parents are happy because their kids are learning throughout the summer, and the rest of Prescott benefits because the program, by building Developmental Assets, is grooming citizens that will give back to their community.
