For Immediate Release:  July 11, 2018
Media contact: Mindy Linetzky
(415) 557-4252; Mindy.Linetzky@sfpl.org

Celebrate National Summer Learning Day across the City

Attend a Trombone Shorty Read Aloud at your local branch

San Francisco, CA –If Trombone Shorty strolled into a San Francisco Public Library location and asked, “Where y’at?” we would enthusiastically reply, “At the Library!” where we are jazzed about having more than 1,000 programs all summer long. On July 12, the Library will host a special shout out for National Summer Learning Day featuring the read aloud of Trombone Shorty by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier.

In addition on July 12 from 2-4 p.m., the Library and the National Park Service will hold a special ranger talk at our newest branch, Public Knowledge Library at SFMOMA. A NPS ranger will lead kids and adults in songs, crafts and playful activities at the museum.

Led by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), National Summer Learning Day is an advocacy day aimed at elevating the importance of keeping all kids learning, safe and healthy during the summer. On this day each year, the country unites in advocacy efforts and celebrations hosted by hundreds of partner organizations from libraries to parks and recreation centers and civic and non-profit groups to promote awareness of the importance of keeping kids healthy and engaged during the summer.

Research shows that summers without quality learning opportunities put our nation’s youth at risk for falling behind – year after year – in core subjects like math and reading. The math and reading skills low-income students lose each summer are cumulative and contribute significantly to the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income kids. A survey conducted by NSLA, indicated that two-thirds of teachers said they spend at least a month re-teaching students old material when they return from summer vacation.

NSLA’s Smarter Summers, Brighter Futures website supports promotion of National Summer Learning Day with an events tracker, summer meals locator, and user-friendly resources for families, summer programs providers, and municipal leaders – all to help keep kids healthy and engaged during the summer break.

In San Francisco, the Library offers more than 1,000 fun, informative and timely Summer Stride programs supporting science, technology, education, math and reading for all ages at every branch, every week of the summer May 19 – Aug. 19.

Looking for good news to cover this summer? Join the families at any San Francisco Trombone Shorty Read Aloud location on Thursday, July 12: