Summer Reading… Summer Learning… SummerQuest 2019!

Have a Stellar Summer!

It’s that time of year again! The nights are longer, the sun shines brighter, the kids laugh longer, and the fun gets better. Kids and teens love summer. No more schoolwork and nothing but fun for three months! But parents know that kids who don’t read over the summer lose one to two months’ worth of learning. Who wants to start the next school year two months behind?

What if there was a way to keep kids and teens engaged in summer learning while having fun? We’ve got that answer…

SummerQuest!

York County Libraries is excited to kick off another summer helping your kids stay connected to their education while having fun. This year, we are exploring A Universe of Stories! SummerQuest takes place throughout our libraries and allows children and teens to enjoy their summer, stay active, and stay engaged in summer learning. Learners from all ages (yes, even infants and toddlers) participate! Pick up a registration packet (available June 1st) and special activity sheet for you and your littlest ones at any of the kick-off events, or at your local library.

What Can You Look Forward To?

Each year SummerQuest provides hundreds of events all around York County, including:

  • Musicians and live entertainment
  • Teen Cupcake Wars, where teens showcase their creativity in delicious design and decoration (no baking required!)
  • GO and Explore the Universe in local parks
  • Hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) activities
  • Exploring new stories in books (prizes for high achievers)! 

Special events this year include:

Young girl sitting in grass smiling at a library event during summer learning
Fun indoors and out all summer long!

We challenge you… to READ… and play, learn, and grow!

A big part of avoiding “summer slide” is reading and learning everywhere! Reading by yourself, reading aloud, listening to an audiobook… they all count! To help readers think big, we’re issuing an 800-minute summer learning challenge to infants, kids and teens as part of SummerQuest. The Beanstack app will help you track the number of minutes read. Even better? Each of the SummerQuest activities counts as 20 minutes worth of reading—so you’re having fun and still working toward your target!

Benchmark prizes are offered for participants who’ve clocked 200, 400, and 600 minutes. Keep pushing, and everyone who hits 800 minutes gets a BIG prize: a FREE ticket to the York Revolution stadium for a Revs game on Sunday, August 18 in a just-for-them celebration! Kids and teens who hit 800 minutes or more will be entered to win other great prizes (like tickets to local events, York Fair merchandise, and Steam Into History train tickets).

Here’s a hint: don’t stop at 800 minutes!

Our most amazing prize, for the person with the highest total minutes (from any combination of activities, events, and reading) in all of York County, will not only throw out the first pitch at the August 18 game, they’ll arrive to do it in styleBY HELICOPTER!  

Yes, you read that right (see what reading does for you?). The SQ reader who clocks the MOST minutes over the whole summer will be delivered to the pitcher’s mound at Revs Stadium by helicopter. (One of your parents/guardians rides along too!)

There are other chances to achieve “lift off” this summer, too: one reader from each library, who logs 800 minutes or more, will also be chosen at random to win a free helicopter ride on Saturday, August 17, 2019.

 

Sign Your Kids and Teens Up

Early online registration starts on our website on Sunday, May 19th. We’re using Beanstack to register and to track everyone’s minutes. You can use the website or download the app, which has a built-in timer! Get set up here. If you’ve used Beanstack before for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten or last year’s SummerQuest, you can use your existing login information. You can read more about Beanstack and the new Beanstack app on our website.

The big Kick-off event is June 1st from 10am-12pm at the following locations:

You can register for SummerQuest during the Kick-off Event (or at your library any time as of June 1st) and get started. We’ll have live entertainment, community organization tables, and GO! York information.  You can also pick up your SummerQuest packet and begin your journey to reach your 800 Minute Challenge goal.  We encourage everyone to bring a lunch so you can sit outside, enjoy the weather, and start planning a great summer with YCL!

Tips: Bring your library card if you have one. Don’t have one? Get one online or sign up at your local library. (If you’ve lost yours, we can help you there too.)

Mark your calendars for registration today and join us for on June 1st! A universe of stories lies ahead this summer. Don’t miss out!