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Findlay-Hancock County Public Library kicks off summer reading program for kids

The library was awarded a portion of an Ohio Department of Education grant to create new programs during its summer reading promotion.

FINDLAY, Ohio — While many area libraries will be hosting summer reading programs for school-aged kids, Findlay's library is also offering more.

The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library recently launched its Summer Read 2023 program and is offering different ways to track students' reading and offering prizes.

As leaders say, it's vital to make sure these children don't experience the "summer slump" for the sake of their ongoing education.

"It's so important to continue reading during that break from school," said library director Sarah Clevidence. "Studies have shown that kids can slide backwards and lose most of the reading progress they've made during the course of the school year if they don't just keep reading over the break." 

And with just under $60,000 in funding from a Libraries Accelerating Learning grant from the Ohio Department of Education, they will also be offering tutoring services through BrainFuse. This will allow kids to also receive a continuing education online on subjects they may have struggled with before moving on to the next grade. 

"Everyday there is live tutoring available," youth services manager Brittany Lutes said. "So it's a good way to keep engaged throughout the summer, especially if you know you have a certain content area you need to work on."

The majority of the Libraries Accelerating Learning grant funding is being used to launch a new Summer Reading Camp that runs from June 19 through Aug. 5 at the library. The camp doesn't just encourage kids to read, but aims to teach children who may have slipped through the cracks how to read or improve reading skills.

Credit: Jon Monk
Volunteers are needed to work 2 days a week for the Summer Reading Camp

The Summer Reading Camp is currently looking for volunteers 16 and older who would be willing to meet for two one-hour tutoring sessions each week.

"The grant enables us to hire someone, which is kind of the really important part to be able to run this program," youth services librarian Sarah Cramer said.

Because there are a few school districts in Hancock County that haven't started their summer break quite yet, The Summer Read 2023 program will officially kick of on Monday, June 5, at 10 a.m.

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