SBCO provided funding to support and expand The Miami Memorial Library “Color Your World” Summer Reading Support Program. Libraries across the nation celebrate Summer using the 2025 theme of “Color Our World”, a theme focused on the arts. The purpose is to prevent the summer slide (knowledge lost while kids are not in school) by encouraging students to read and attend educational programs throughout the summer at the local library.
The SBCO funds were used to create engaging learning and reading opportunities for students even while they were not in the classroom, all with a theme related to art. The program began with the Registration Kickoff at a local park where students had the opportunity to create a group art project that was displayed at the library for the duration of the summer. They also got to listen to live performances, listen to books being read, and had the opportunity to create individual pieces of art. The Registration Kickoff even gave students the opportunity to visit other agencies such as the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension office, so it was a great opportunity to merge art and education. Following the Registration Kickoff, students participated in weekly activities throughout the summer to give them art experiences in many different formats and for a diverse age range of students. The art educational experiences included Drawing, Fiber Arts, Photography, 3-D Art, Writing and Storytelling, Performance Art, and Watercolor. Books were given out to the participating students to foster home libraries and keep students connected to reading even while at home. Additionally, healthy snacks were provided as studies show that students learn better when they are not dealing with hunger issues. This summer we added an extra week of learning (7 weeks instead of 6) and then had the end of summer awards. Extending the program a week meant that students had learning opportunities for the full summer. Lastly, the funds were used for the end of summer awards to acknowledge the learning and reading completed by the students and had food, drinks, and educational prizes to really make things a celebration.
