With an investment of $65,000 from the province, BC Summer Reading Club (BC SRC) is being offered virtually to young readers and their families, according to a media release from BC Ministry of Education on June 14.
This literacy program is usually offered by public libraries in person. This year, as work continues to flatten the curve of COVID-19, young readers will be able to follow their passion for reading and still participate by registering and tracking their progress online, according to the release.
"Fun and engaging programs like the BC Summer Reading Club that help our kids strengthen their literacy skills and stay motivated to keep reading over the summer are even more important this year," stated education minister Rob Fleming. "I'm so pleased this incredibly popular program will continue this summer with expanded online features thanks to the great work done by library staff and the BC Library Association."
The BC SRC is a free literacy program offered through BC’s 71 public libraries to children ages five to 14. Online registration will open Monday, June 15, and children and families can access the new website until the end of September.
For more information, go to kidssrc.libraries.coop.
Some new online features added to the program include:
* digital badges for reaching reading goals, as well as a certificate of completion for finishing the program;
* live events and video demonstrations, including hands-on crafts and experiments;
* weekly stay-at-home activity packages; and
* a dashboard for parents/guardians to track their kids' reading progress and the digital badges they have earned.
Children can read whatever they want, including story books, information books, graphic novels and comic books, in whatever language they feel most comfortable reading in. They can also listen to someone else read or tell stories.
"The BC Summer Reading Club is a fantastic way for children and their families to maintain and build literacy skills, and to connect to their library community,” stated BC SRC provincial coordinator Cynthia Ford.
Parents and guardians can register their kids on the BC SRC website, selecting their library and accessing some activities to do at home. This year's theme is Explore Our Universe, featuring illustrations by BC artist Bambi Edlund.
“With the addition of the Summer Reading Club online registration website, we believe families will have greater access to a library program that supports literacy, reading and summer fun, stated BCLA president Christine Middlemass.
Families are asked to contact their local library to find out about their local programs as branches throughout BC have been impacted differently by COVID-19.
In 2019, BC SRC reached more than 173,085 children in more than 200 communities.
