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Over the course of a summer, students can lose up to 20% of the school-year knowledge they gained from the school year. Reading daily can help to slow, if not prevent, the loss of reading skills over the out-of-school summer months, ensuring that students can begin the subsequent school year closer to grade level.

During Summer Camp at the Club, we immerse youth in the pages of a book for at least 20 minutes each day.  Their goal is to complete 10 hours of reading over the course of the summer.  Additionally, as our Clubs are split into age groups to accommodate specialized programming, each group’s goal is to read 250 total hours.

“Telling any kid that they ‘have to read’  is likened to pulling teeth,” states Academic Outreach Coordinator, Amanda Montes. “Lucky for us, our program is sponsored by Tim Postel and our local McDonalds Franchise. Mr. Postel believes in the importance of building a lifelong love for reading and has helped inspire hundreds of kids to read.”

After completing two and three-hour reading segments, youth earn prizes like free ice cream and a Happy Meal from McDonald’s. The prospect of earning treats makes the reading time purposeful and fun for the kids (what kid doesn’t want a Happy Meal?) At the end of the summer, groups who reach their 250-hour reading goal are invited to participate in a Bubble Bash—an exclusive event celebrating their accomplishment with an assortment of bubble activities such as touchable bubbles, DIY bubble wands, and even foam machines.