Research indicates that students lose skills when school is not in session. Chicago Public Library wants to help children and teens continue building their literacy skills, as well as enhance their critical thinking and creativity during the out of school time of winter break by offering the Winter Learning Challenge: Blast Off!, and Teen Winter Challenge: Book Cover Contest. The Winter Learning Challenge is generously funded by The Brinson Foundation through the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Funding support for the Teen Winter Challenge is provided by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, Inc., also through the Chicago Public Library Foundation. For more information, visit chipublib.org or chipublib.org/blast-off.