JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Summer break is here, but learning doesn’t have to stop.
The Jacksonville Public Library is hosting its free Summer Learning Program through August 2 to help children stay engaged and prevent the “summer slide”—the loss of academic progress that can occur when students don’t read during the summer.
The program combines reading goals with hands-on activities designed to stimulate young minds. Older children can take part in STEM and art labs, scavenger hunts, and live performances for the whole family.
Raelyn Wiirre, manager for youth learning at the library, explained the importance of keeping kids engaged over the summer.
“What research has found is that if kids don’t actively engage in learning activities — and that doesn’t just have to mean academic learning like in school, it can mean enrichment, museum visits, or different experiences — they can actually regress over the summer. The problem is that this regression can happen year after year,” Wiirre said.
Families can participate by attending drop-in parties held at city library branches. Each branch offers its own schedule of events, so times vary.
Weekday Schedule:
- Regency Square Branch: Monday, 1–3 p.m.
- Argyle Branch: Tuesday, 12–1:30 p.m.
- Mandarin Branch: Wednesday, 1–2 p.m.
- Highlands Regional Branch: Thursday, 1–3 p.m.
- Pablo Creek Regional Branch: Thursday, 4–5 p.m.
Weekend Schedule:
- Brown Eastside Branch: Saturday, 3–4 p.m.
- Main Library: Saturday, 2–3 p.m.
- No events on Sundays.
Participants are encouraged to read at least 20 minutes daily and log their hours using the Beanstack app.
“When you attend the opening party, you’ll receive a book tracker,” Wiirre added. “If you read 20 minutes a day for 20 days, you can win an additional free prize book. You can turn in your tracker at any library.”
The program also encourages students to join Mayor Donna Deegan’s River City Readers Challenge, which tracks reading throughout the year.
For more information and to view the full schedule, visit the Jacksonville Public Library’s summer reading page.
