Contact: Nicole Pasini, Deputy Director of Library Services
San Mateo County Libraries
(650) 312-5251
On October 12, the Urban Libraries Council, opens a new window announced that San Mateo County Libraries was one of the twenty most innovative libraries, opens a new window in the nation in recognition of its Big Lift Inspiring Summers program, opens a new window, which serves low-income children and reverses summer learning loss.
Big Lift Inspiring Summers is a rich academic and experiential learning summer camp, and the kind of experience that is usually out of reach for low-income families. The five-week program provides Kindergartners through 2nd graders with project-based, hands-on STEM learning activities, healthy meals, exciting field trips, and books to fill home libraries.
In 2016, San Mateo County Libraries served 753 children at six school sites in the South San Francisco Unified, opens a new window, Jefferson Elementary, opens a new window, La Honda-Pescadero Unified, opens a new window and Cabrillo Unified School, opens a new window Districts. In 2017, the Libraries served 1,297 children at eleven school sites, by expanding to work with the Ravenswood City, opens a new window, Redwood City, opens a new window and San Bruno Park School, opens a new window Districts.
Big Lift Inspiring Summers is a collaborative effort between San Mateo County Libraries, the County of San Mateo, opens a new window, the San Mateo County Office of Education, opens a new window, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, opens a new window, BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), opens a new window and the seven school districts above. This program was made possible by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, opens a new window who committed funding from Measure K, opens a new window, a countywide half-cent sales tax extension for local needs.
Every summer, low-income youth lose two to three months in reading while their peers from higher-income families make slight gains. As a result of participating in Inspiring Summers, children in the 2016 program gained an average of one month of reading skills; in 2017, children gained an average of one and a half months of reading skills through the program.
“This program has the scope and impact to significantly improve the reading levels of our county’s most vulnerable children,” said Supervisor Carole Groom, District 2, who serves on the Libraries’ Governing Board.
