Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias and Local Libraries Work to Encourage Members to Read Throughout the Summer and School Year
Tulare Jolly Rancher Reading Club showcases the amount of candies they have earned.
For Immediate Release
VISALIA, CA, September 24, 2019 -- It is a priority of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias to encourage literacy and help our local youth develop positive associations with reading. During the school year the Clubs provide one hour of homework help every day, known as Power Hour, and continuously introduce creative reading incentives. During the summer, Exeter, Farmersville, and Ivanhoe Clubs coordinate with their local libraries to instill good reading habits within their Clubs.
The Clubs incorporate creative ways to encourage their members to read more on a daily basis. Clubs such as Tulare and Visalia have began a Jolly Rancher Reading Club. The idea is that those in the reading club earn a Jolly Rancher for every chapter that they have read. The members are to drop the candy into a tumbler with their name on it to save for a later time.
Exeter, Farmersville, and Ivanhoe Clubs coordinate with their local library’s schedule of programs and activities every summer. These libraries help Club members set their individual reading goals, track their reading progress throughout the summer, and advance their reading by offering fun prizes and incentives. For example, at the Ivanhoe Club, members were rewarded at the end of the summer reading program with an ice cream social!
The libraries also host a variety of guest performers—such as Tim the Magician and Reptile Ron—in the summertime to encourage the community to spend more time at their local library. Additionally, the libraries offer new and exciting activities such as a stem program and a Lego Robotics program that Club members enjoy very much.
For example, Farmersville Boys & Girls Club is fortunate to have the Tulare County Farmersville Branch Library right next door. Every week, they receive a schedule of their library’s performances and activities so that their Club members may attend the events.
Farmersville Site Director Christian Cervantes explains, “This year Veronica Casanova from Tulare County Libraries has helped the Boys & Girls Clubs (BGC) by bringing entertainment for the members and staff. This year, she brought to the BGC a juggling performance that was well-received by all our members and staff. It was a great pop-up activity that had all the members engaged and attentive.”
Exeter, Farmersville, and Ivanhoe Club members love spending time at their local library—they enjoy the large variety of books, the special performances, and the prizes they earn for reading. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias is thankful for the support they have received from their local libraries over the years.
During this school year, Ivanhoe members will visit the library every Friday. Exeter Club will be running a book club and will collaborate with the Exeter library every Thursday until December. If parents or community members are interested in helping to encourage young people to read, they are welcome to help by either becoming a volunteer at these libraries or a BGC volunteer by visiting www.bgcsequoias.org/volunteer.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias is focused on helping all young people, especially those who need us most, to become responsible, caring and productive members of society. Boys & Girls Clubs were established in Tulare County in the 1990’s when Exeter and Visalia community leaders responded to the need for a positive place for local youth to spend free time after school. Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias serves 1,000 kids per day at 14 clubs throughout Tulare County. Clubs provide a wide span of activities for local youth, varying from STEM to sports. www.bgcsequoias.org
For More Information
Please contact: Carri Chambers | (559) 592–4074 | carri.chambers@bgcsequoias.org
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