Library launches expanded Summer Break program
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library wants to help school children and adults live summer to the fullest. For decades, the Library has offered a very successful summer reading program, which has encouraged thousands to read during the summer months when students are on break from school. This year, the popular program is being transformed to incorporate a wider variety of learning experiences. Reading remains at the core, but the new program, called “Summer Break: Read, Learn, Explore,” aims to tap into the brain-stimulating benefits of other activities as well.
The Summer Break program runs June 1 – August 14, 2016. Participants will be encouraged to read 20 minutes per day and engage in other learning activities in the categories of writing, creating, playing, exploring and giving.
“Each of the Summer Break learning activities offers benefits that keep our brains active and nimble,” explains Dana Eure, Associate Director of Lifelong Learning. “Writing goes hand-in-hand with reading; creative activities exercise our problem-solving skills; playing allows us to learn spontaneously; exploration helps us broaden our horizons; and giving has many benefits to our emotional and mental well-being.”
The official Summer Break website, summerbreak.cmlibrary.org, offers reading lists and plenty of ideas to fill up everyone’s summer break with enriching activity.
“Our goal is to help students build reading and learning skills and have fun at the same time,” states Library CEO Lee Keesler. “Summer Break is designed to do just that.”
For 2016, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is working with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation to expand the Summer Break program to even more young people, encouraging them to read and stay active all summer. All Park and Rec summer camp participants will be automatically registered in the program.
“We want to help everyone, especially children and teens, develop healthy minds and bodies,” adds David Singleton, Director of Libraries. “Each summer, library branches are alive with activity. We want all children and teens to succeed in school, and reading and learning during the summer will help students return to school ready to learn. We welcome everyone to participate in our Summer Break program.”
Anyone can register at summerbreak.cmlibrary.org beginning May 11. The Library offers this early registration to help students get a head start in signing up before school's out. Participants will create free accounts where they can track their reading and other activities from June 1 to August 14. The new website has been designed to be easy to log activities, even from a mobile device. The Library will have drawings for prizes each week during the program.
The 2016 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with generous support from Wendy’s and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. The Library gives special thanks to Wray Ward for developing the Summer Break logo as a pro-bono project for the Library.
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