STL Summer Adventure
St. Louis County Library and St. Louis Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
STL Summer Adventure is a collaborative project between St. Louis County Library and St. Louis Public Library to combine library resources to promote summer engagement and set youth up for a successful return to school in the fall. The new program utilizes community partners and contacts from both districts, creating a unique program where participants can choose from different activity categories based on their interests. This new community-centric summer reading and exploration program is for all St. Louis City and County residents ages 0-17. STL Summer Adventure elevates summer learning in the region through community organizations working together to ensure kids stay engaged throughout the summer. Regardless of which library district participants sign up, everyone gets to take part in the same summer adventure with the same incentives!
Challenge/Opportunity
St. Louis County Library (SLCL) and St. Louis Public Library (SLPL) have collaborated on many projects in recent years to increase access to library programs and services such as creating a shared catalog in 2022, launching an online high school diploma program in 2017, and introducing Wi-Fi hotspots for patron check out to help address the region’s digital divide. This year both library districts wanted to create a new joint summer reading program that would go beyond participants simply tracking reading throughout the summer. They envisioned a new summer reading program with the community coming together to encourage kids to read, learn and explore throughout the summer. The goals were to reach more people in the region, combine and promote library resources, and give participants more of an engaging, community-centric experience.
Key Elements of Innovation
STL Summer Adventure has different learning paths for three age groups: early childhood (ages 0-5), kids (ages 6-12), and teens (ages 13-17). Each group has learning paths in five categories: Read-a-Book, STEM, Art, Outdoors, and St. Louis, with 10 activities participants can choose from in each category. Participants complete three activities in a category to earn a badge. By earning three badges, they complete the STL Summer Adventure and receive a prize, community vouchers/coupons, and a raffle entry into a grand prize drawing.
Key partner organizations were: Gateway Arch, The Magic House, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and Forest Park Forever. The organizations promoted and provided log booklets for people to pick up.
STL Summer Adventure became a regional endeavor between SLCL, SLPL & St. Louis community institutions all working together to create opportunities for kids to stay engaged throughout the summer.
Achieved Outcomes
STL Summer Adventure kick-off was held in conjunction with the community event, Play Day in the Park, with 25 organizations coming together to showcase the importance of play, learning, and reading in children’s lives.
- 1,500 people visited the STL Summer Adventure tent
- Over 770 registrations for STL Summer Adventure.
A new sponsor was secured with St. Louis CITY SC. A STL Summer Adventure launch event unveiled the new limited edition CITY SC library cards for both SLCL and SLPL.
STL Summer Adventure resulted in:
- 28,885 Registrations
- 11,194 Completions
- 4,145 of new CITY SC library cards issued
SLCL and SLPL surveyed participants and caregivers:
- 90% agree/strongly agree that they learned something new
- 78% of kids reported they enjoy reading more
- 79% reported they used the library more often
- 71% of kids reported they read more often
- 67% reported their child maintained or increased their reading skills
- 94% plan to participate again
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