Dallas Mayor's Reading Program Promotes Literacy For Kids, Adults

DALLAS, TX —It's not new information that one of the greatest predictors of a child's success in life is the ability to read well. And now the city is reaching out to help make that a reality for anyone interested.

Dallas Public Library’s annual summer reading program is already up and running, with a 10-week series of virtual experiences and incentives to encourage kids to keep learning all summer long.

The initiative, called "Smart Summer with Mayor Johnson," engages students as young as infants up through 18-years-old in science, math, art, reading and technology programs. These programs help exercise the skills kids built during the academic school year and keeps them sharp to prepare for a more successful term in the fall.

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“We set out every year to make summer count,” says Director of Libraries Jo Giudice. “This year we feel it is more important than ever to do what we can to provide opportunities for kids to keep the learning going.”

In addition, students 18 and younger who read, or are even read to, for at least 20 minutes a day earn a free book for every 10 days of reading, up to five times through August 14. When participants read for 50 days, they earn entry for grand prize drawings.

In addition, students can complete online activities for additional chances to win grand prizes. Some of those prizes include: a basketball hoop, a Barbie Dream House, a trampoline and other packages.

And to help ensure their literacy becomes contagious, parents and other adults can also participate in a parallel reading program. Kids who see the grown-ups in their lives reading regularly encourages the practice and establishes reading as a family value.

Registration for Smart Summer with Mayor Johnson is now open at: www.dallaslibrary.org/smartsummer or in person at any Dallas Public Library location.

Live programs are conducted on Zoom, and include animals, dinosaurs, science experiments and much more almost every day. Take-home kits are available at all library locations for hands-on experiences, too.

Register for Smart Summer events at www.dallaslibrary.org/events. Most Dallas Public Library locations are open for limited services, including browsing and using the computer. All library programming remains virtual.

The Smart Summer program is sponsored by Friends of the Dallas Public Library, the nonprofit organization that funds programming and marshals public support for the library system. “The summer reading program is a mainstay of library services, and we’re gratified every year to be part of making it happen,” said Mary Wilonsky, the organization's executive director.

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