Children to “Build a Better World” This Summer at FRL

Readers of all ages will explore engineering, science, art, design, and more this summer as the Fontana Regional Library presents “Build a Better World” during their summer learning program. Activities will include science and engineering experiments, hands-on art and design, planetarium shows and more. The 2017 Summer Learning Program is open and free to young people, babies through young adult, with programs, prizes, storytimes, and more.

By having an active, hands-on, fun summer learning program, the library’s goal is to prevent the “summer slide” for local children.  According to the National Summer Learning Association:

• All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al, 2004). 
• More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al, 2007). 

Education - Fontana Regional Library Long Range Plan