Chicago Public Library has many initiatives but arguably one of the biggest programs of the year is the annual Summer Learning Challenge!
Rahm’s Readers 2018 Summer Learning Challenge runs from June 18 through September 1. More than 100,000 Chicago kids ages 0 to 13 and their families participate in this dynamic STEAM-based program. This summer’s theme is Earth Explorers and focuses on sustainability.
Summer Learning Challenge Community Days
As part of the Summer Learning Challenge, Chicago Public Library has hosted a series of Community Days, in which the city’s philanthropic companies, including many sponsors of the program through the Chicago Public Library Foundation, engaged their employees to participate in distributing free books to Chicago kids. Every child selected 12 books to build their home library.
At the end of June and through July, corporate partners joined Bernie’s Book Bank at different Library branch locations around the city to distribute books donated by Bernie’s Book Bank to local kids participating in the Summer Learning Challenge. Bernie’s Book Bank is a local organization that sources, processes, and distributes quality new and gently used children’s books to infants, toddlers, and school-aged children with the goal of increasing book ownership among at-risk families throughout Chicagoland.
If you have yet to sign up for the Summer Learning Challenge, you can do so at any library branch. Remaining Community Days where you can pick up your 12 books to build your home library are listed below.
We thank our corporate partners who have participated in Community Days:
- Cubs Care (a McCormick Foundation Fund) and charity of the Chicago Cubs, distributed books at the Beverly Library Brand on June 26.
- Macy’s employees and our own Associate Board and Council members came out on July 2 to the Richard M. Daley Branch.
- Members of PNC Bank volunteered at the Logan Square Branch on July 16.
- Exelon will participate on July 24 at the Avalon Branch.
- Peoples Gas associates will be volunteering at the Toman Branch on July 26.
What Patrons Are Saying
We were excited to see so many different members of our community come together for such a great cause. “This book giveaway is awesome,” said Lunye Robinson who visited the Richard M. Daley branch. “I’m always here at the library for all of the community events. It’s a great place for the community and kids!”
Added Hannah Stirray of Macy’s, “I love how kids aren’t sure about what they want, and with a simple suggestion their mind just wanders to the bookshelf and their eyes light up when the find the perfect book.”
Thank you to all Summer Learning Challenge sponsors: Wintrust, The Boeing Company, Cubs Care (a McCormick Foundation Fund), The Helen M. Harrison Foundation, The Heller Foundation, Macy’s, PNC Bank, The Rice Foundation, Westinghouse and individual donors to the Library Foundation for making the Summer Learning Challenge possible through their generous donations.
Chicago Public Library’s Summer Learning Challenge is made possible with donations from sponsors and individuals like you. Make a gift here that powers curiosity for Chicago’s children and helps them return to school ready to learn!