Local youths are being encouraged to develop their passions during the TD Summer Reading Program at the Estevan Public Library.
Co-ordinator Sarah Wright said this year’s theme is To Feed your Passions, and so each week the young people will be encouraged to discover something they might be passionate about.
“Each week we’re going to try different things like art and sports and science, just so then they can have a wide variety of knowledge,” said Wright.
The summer reading program is offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Children can attend one of the five sessions per week, and Wright said they prefer that the child attend the same session each week for the summer. There is a little bit of flexibility.
About 65 children are registered so far. It’s a little lower than some years, but it’s not too late to register, either. Wright said people can sign up by contacting the library.
The summer reading program was created to prevent what Wright called a summer slide, which children often encounter. It’s when young people forget the information they have learned during the past school year.
“So then the tips and tricks that they have learned over the years to help with their reading, maybe their math skills and their writing skills, they may not increase, but they will keep going so then they don’t forget them for the next year,” said Wright.
The activities are done in a fun setting, so that it doesn’t feel like they’re in a classroom any longer.
Wright has worked at the Estevan Public Library for the past three years, and is now studying education. She hopes it will be a good transition from her studies to her job with the summer reading program, and she also hopes to learn a lot.
