Brewers Support Library Summer Reading Program

“The Summer Reading Program provides children with access to books and structured summer reading experiences,” notes Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “This program reaches children at their neighborhood MPL branch and through the outreach that occurs at child care centers and at summer recreation and learning sites so that everyone can participate. It’s another great summer activity in a city that’s rich with opportunities for young people.”

“We are deeply grateful for the generous donation of $40,000 from the Milwaukee Brewers Foundation. This significant contribution will greatly bolster our Super Reader Summer reading program, enabling us to reach more children and foster a lifelong love for reading,” said Ryan Daniels, Library Foundation Executive Director. “This partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to enhancing literacy, and we believe it will have a profound impact on the educational trajectory of countless young lives in Milwaukee.”

“The library is an excellent free resource for families to have access to books of a wide range of interests and reading levels, as well as librarians to guide children and families in selecting great books,” said Library Director Joan Johnson. “The average student that does not read over summer loses one to three months of learning.  That loss has a cumulative, long-term effect, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected, a phenomenon known as the ‘summer slide.’”

“Summer slide” is the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year. The Milwaukee Public Library provides information to help school administrators and educators with key talking points and resources and research for developing school- or community-based programs to help stem summer slide. The library offers a well-established, structured summer reading program that includes the Super Reader Squad for children 12 and under, the Teen Summer Challenge, and Book By Book Adult Summer Reading.

Studies show that when children participate in summer reading programs, select reading materials themselves, and read for enjoyment; they receive the most gains in reading achievement.  Children and teens tend to read more when adults in their lives encourage them to read and also when they see those adults reading themselves.  The library has a goal of enrolling 25,000 readers into this year’s program.

To enroll, visit mpl.org and click the link for the Summer Reading Program.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.