BANGOR, Maine — School is out for the summer, and while many kids rejoice, some parents, caregivers, and teachers worry about the “summer slide.” Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to keep young minds fresh during the season's hiatus.
Between school years it is estimated that students can lose two months or more of reading ability, according to the Harvard Graduate School of Education. To help prevent this decline, researchers encourage parents to be involved in their child’s summer reading.
One great way to do so is by participating in local library reading programs.
In Bangor, the public library kicked off its “Read, Renew, Repeat” summer program on Monday.
On top of incentivizing reading and rewarding local kids, the library runs specialized events to entertain and teach valuable skills.
Michelle Brousseau, the head of the Bangor Public Library’s children’s department, led the organization and implementation of the summer program and is very proud of this year’s Thursday event.
“We usually do a cooking demo in the summer and so since this year is about recycling and sustainability it’s called ‘leftover makeovers’ so kids are going to learn about what they can do with leftovers in their fridge,” she said.
The library is not the only educational enrichment available. Space lovers can learn amongst the stars at the Challenger Learning Center in Bangor. The center offers camps and programs not just during the summer but all year long.
The center’s Executive Director Kirsten Hibbard, was excited to share what campers had done in the first hours of the day.
“We are only partway through the morning, and we have already dressed up as astronauts, [and] gone through an astronaut obstacle course. They are already learning about robotic arms and satellites and getting to build and do while they're up there,” she said.
In addition to reading and learning about outer space, no Maine summer is complete without time outdoors. The University of Maine’s 4-H extension program operates four distinct camps located across the state providing an enriching nature experience.
However, time spent outdoors is not only enjoyable but essential according to camp statewide director Ryder Scott.
“It is really really important for young people to have these nature-based experiences to unplug from technology,” he said. “It’s also really important for young people's development to have unstructured time out in nature. It’s a really important piece of that we do in 4-H camp.
For more information on these summer programs, click on the links below.