The Petersburg Public Library’s annual summer literacy program brought in the most participation it’s seen in recent years.
The Great Summer Challenge goes beyond the reading logs of traditional summer reading programs. Kids complete weekly challenges that promote reading and literacy to earn badges. That includes activities like attending library events, going on quests and completing scavenger hunts around town.
Library Program Coordinator Kari Petersen said the program was intentionally “gamified.”
“We want it to be fun because we know that one of the number one indicators of a child’s success in school is their reading for pleasure,” Petersen said.
Out of the 170 kids who registered to participate this summer, 99 of them completed all six weeks of the program. That’s the highest participation and completion rate the library has seen in recent years.
Library Director Tara Alcock said the library got great feedback from the young participants and their parents this year.
“You get all sorts of different kids with different interests now participating in what just used to be a reading program,” Alcock said. “We’re getting a lot more kids, I think, because we’re expanding the approaches that we take to it.”
This year, the library received record grant funding, and also made a big push to partner with local businesses. Participants who finished the program each received a $30 gift card to one of five local businesses. Alcock said that allowed kids to pick what they wanted as a grand prize.
“They got to choose to shop local, which was part of our overall idea,” Alcock said. “Take all that generosity we saw from our donors and turn it around and support local businesses and teach our young people to shop local.”
Both Alcock and Petersen said it was a way to give back to the community that has long supported the library’s summer programming.
