Mayor Emanuel kicked off the annual Rahm’s Readers Summer Learning Challenge at Chicago Public Library’s Douglass Branch. Rahm’s Readers is designed to encourage more kids to participate and provide additional activities as opportunities for kids to grow and learn, serving as a cornerstone of the city-wide Summer of Learning initiative. Last year, over 71,000 of Chicago’s kids read over 2.1 million books totaling 56 million minutes of reading over last summer.

Chicago kids will spend the next eight weeks reading, discovering and creating around the theme of animals, habitats and wildlife in this engaging program. Through August 2, kids can “Explore and Roar” as Chicago Public Library teams up with CPS, Chicago Park District, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, The Museum of Science and Industry, and The Anti-Cruelty Society for the Summer Learning Challenge.

The Library’s Summer Learning Challenge not only helps build literacy by promoting reading at least 20 minutes a day, but ensures Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills are cultivated during the summer months through the specially designed Rahm’s Readers Explorer Guide. Summer Learning Challenge “Explore and Roar” materials and more information can be found at local branches and on the Library website at chipublib.org/rahmsreaders.