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Children participate in summer learning thanks to Alamosa Public Library's ESSER funding.

Alamosa Public Library created a lively summer learning program in a city park thanks to a $78,000 ESSER grant that got students enthusiastic about reading.

The Expanding Learning Opportunity grant from ESSER III enabled the library to buy books, art supplies and sports equipment and cover some of the staff salaries. About eight students ranging in age from 8 to 18 regularly attended the four-day-a-week program in Zapata Historic Park.

Alamosa School District provided breakfasts and lunches, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, and staff came from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and AmeriCorps. 

The program had four goals: getting children to read for the sheer pleasure of it, increasing reading skills, creating a positive social environment and providing an opportunity to learn new creative skills, said Maria Kramer, library manager.

Each child got to select up to three books to take home – and keep if they wanted – every day. Almost all the children took all three.

“They don't have to worry about returning it. They can just keep it forever” Kramer said, adding that many people in the area don’t even have a library card.

The grandmother of one of the children, Azalea, said the girl “really liked the books she picked. She definitely would not have read as much over the summer without the program.”

The ESSER grant also enabled the library to hold two parent nights. In all, there were more than 200 discrete visits to the summer program by children and parents.

ESSER funding ends this fall, but Kramer is hoping to run “a shoestring version of the program” for next summer.