By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Seattle Public Library has launched Summer Quest, a new summer learning program that encourages reading, creativity and community exploration for people of all ages. The program is a redesigned version of the library’s 107-year-old summer reading program, expanding the previous 15-day challenge into a 30-day experience designed to promote literacy, creativity and community engagement.
Summer Quest replaces the library’s longtime Summer of Learning program with a flexible “Read, Do and Go” format that encourages participants to build literacy, explore their communities and discover new interests through reading, hands-on activities and local experiences.
“It is an updated version of our 107-year-old summer reading program. Everyone can participate in tracking reading and other activities, earn prizes and other incentives, and attend a range of programs and workshops,” said Elisa Murray, communications strategist for the Seattle Public Library. “For kids, the focus is on encouraging reading and literacy skill building, to help children combat summer slide and discover new interests and the joy of learning.”
Throughout the 30-day challenge, participants are encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes each day while also completing activities that inspire creativity, introduce them to new perspectives and encourage exploration throughout Seattle.
Educators have long recognized the “summer slide,” the loss of academic skills that can occur during summer break when students are not regularly engaged in learning. Summer Quest is designed to help children maintain or strengthen those skills while making learning enjoyable and self-directed.
“In the past, our summer program asked kids to read or do a learning-based activity for 15 days. This year, we are challenging kids and teens to go even further to achieve their goals for 30 days,” said Erika Miller, temporary youth and family learning services manager. “Summer Quest encourages kids to read and explore what they want in terms of formats and topics. We want learning to be fun, and something the kids choose to do.”
Murray said the program’s flexible design allows participants to tailor activities to their own interests while encouraging lifelong learning.
“Summer Quest is flexible by design, offering many kinds of activities for kids to explore. Or they can come up with their own and ask a librarian for help! We love to help match kids up to books, activities, and interests,” Murray said. “Libraries, as a third place in the community that are welcoming and open to everyone, focus on offering summer learning opportunities that help children and teens discover and follow their own interests and discover the joy of learning on their own.”
For Miller, one of the most rewarding parts of working in libraries has been seeing the program create connections beyond reading.
“One of my favorite memories is when a mom told me that bringing her child to the library made her feel less lonely. She had moved to a new state and was a single mom without much help at home,” Miller said.
“The library gave her and her child something to do together, and she made new friends at the library along the way.”
Miller said that experience reinforced the idea that the library’s summer programs are about more than literacy.
“This taught me that our summer program was not just about learning, it was about finding community outside of school for both the child and the parent,” she said.
That philosophy shapes Summer Quest’s wide variety of activities, which are designed to appeal to different learning styles and interests.
“We designed our new Summer Quest program around these principles and are excited to see families and kids of all ages participating,” Miller said. “For example, we will offer programs in Indigenous storytelling, and crafting workshops that build fine motor skills. Summer Quest programs also include music programs, which can also help improve literacy by slowing down language and help kids sound out words.”
The library also hopes the program helps children recognize that learning extends far beyond a traditional classroom.
“We want kids to discover that learning can be about anything, and it can look like a number of different ways,” Miller said. “Kids can practice their writing skills with poetry, they can practice mindfulness by sitting in nature, and they can gain confidence with their reading skills by being able to read whatever they want!”
Miller believes the 30-day challenge can help students return to school better prepared in the fall.
“This is where 30 days of learning for fun will make a big difference! Kids will be more interested in learning when it means that they can choose how they want to learn and what they want to learn about,” Miller said. “Any kind of learning and play will make a difference, especially when they are trying something new! Doing any activity for 30 days will help solidify the skills they are choosing to practice.”
Looking ahead, Murray said the library plans to gather community feedback to continue refining Summer Quest while supporting student achievement and lifelong learning.
“We look forward to getting lots of feedback this year so that we can improve Summer Quest for next year,” Murray said. “We hope that Summer Quest will play an important role, along with other library programs like Homework Help and Global Reading Challenge, in supporting student achievement over the long haul, and making summer learning fun and engaging!”
Families can participate by visiting any Seattle Public Library branch to pick up a Summer Quest activity tracker or by visiting spl.org/SummerQuest to begin logging 30 days of Read, Do and Go activities for prizes and other incentives.
