The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is working to prevent summer learning loss by giving away free books to children. This month, representatives from the board have been stopping at various locations across the community, including summer camps, public libraries, and recreation centers, to distribute over 10,000 books to kids of all ages.

Summer Learning Loss

According to Brianna Ray, the board’s community collaborations coordinator, summer is a critical time for kids to continue reading and learning. "Many kids lose important literacy and reading skills when they’re out of school," she said. "With this project, we’re bringing books to them, encouraging reading, and helping to prevent that summer learning loss while making reading something that is fun and attainable."

The books are being distributed to all ages, from infants to teenagers, and the recipients get to keep them and build their own personal libraries. Children have been able to select from a wide range of genres, including graphic novels and books about outer space, animals, and princesses.

In addition to the book giveaway, representatives from the MyON street team have been participating in the initiative, providing access to a digital reading platform that offers over 8,000 books. The platform is available free of charge to Pinellas County children from birth through 5th grade through a partnership between the Juvenile Welfare Board, Pinellas County Schools, and United Way Suncoast.

Food has also been provided at some of the Summer Book Bus stops through the Pinellas Childhood Hunger Collaborative. The initiative aims to encourage collaboration among partners, increase access, align resources, and fill gaps in food security.

Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.