PANAMA CITY — The Northwest Florida Regional Library System is encouraging youth to read over the summer with a series of incentives and events.
Library officials are calling the initiative “Unearth a Story,” saying that it’s meant to bridge the gap of the “summer slide” in learning.
A library spokesperson told the News Herald that when a child finishes the school year, they may be reading at grade level, but that they might fall behind if they don’t keep up with their reading skills over the summer. This can create challenges for youth when they return to school.
“Summer reading allows children to maintain their reading skills during the summer break while fostering a love of reading,” a news release said. “Library programs are free and open to the public to attend.”
To get kids off the tech and into a book, the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries through a St. Joe Community Foundation grant are offering prizes to young readers across various events at the Bay County Public Library, 898 W 11th St. in Panama City. Here’s the roundup:
June 1 through July 8
June 1 through July 13
Special events for kids
All this reading doesn’t have to be done in solitary.
Attached to NWLRS’s release is a lineup for its summer programs at the Bay County Public Library. Here’s the schedule for kids’ events:
Events for teenagers
The kids don’t get to have all the fun, the library also has a lineup of events for area teenagers.
Here’s the schedule:
This summer is expected to be very busy at the Bay County Public Library. The release from NWLRS is seven pages long and contains events at the Panama City Beach Public Library as well as activities for all ages and adults.
Some of the adult events involve creating origami earrings, exploring area cemeteries, local history and photography. Readers should check out the library’s full schedule at their online calendar if interested: https://www.nwrls.com/events.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: NW Florida libraries plan free summer events to get youth reading
Reporting by Dylan Gentile, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
