Pikes Peak Library District is celebrating a half-century of instilling and encouraging a love of reading – while combating summertime learning loss — in Colorado Springs-area students.

The library system’s annual summer reading program, 2024 Summer Adventure, will kick off at all 15 PPLD locations on Friday, according to a news release. Presented by Children’s Hospital Colorado, the two-month initiative combines a variety of activities and incentives to keep kids engaged during the summer months.

With 2024 being an Olympic year, and PPLD celebrating its golden anniversary of summer reading programs, “Go for the Gold” is the theme for this year’s adventure. This year, PPLD is throwing out the age limits, opening up the program to kids, teens, adults and seniors, said district spokeswoman Carla Bamesberger.

“There’s no age limits whatsoever!” Bamesberger said.

“We’re encouraging everyone to ‘Go for the Gold’ together,” said Senior Librarian Christa Funke. “That could mean as a family, with friends, co-workers, neighbors. It’s a celebration, and we want the community to celebrate with us.”

Several studies have shown that kids who don’t engage in some form of summer enrichment often struggle to keep up with their peers when they return to school in the fall — commonly known as “summer slide.” Students who participate in programs like Summer Adventure retain more of what they’ve learned and are more likely to hit the ground running when the new academic year begins.

“It’s important to keep the brain engaged at any age,” Funke said. “But we talk about it a lot with kids during the summer because there’s no school for a couple of months, and without that daily learning and engagement, they can fall behind when they get back to school.”

To complete the Summer Adventure program, participants will log a minimum of 30 days of reading and activities between May 31 and July 31. Reading is one of the primary forms of engagement, but there are other ways to keep the mind stimulated, Funke said.

“We’re a library, so of course we encourage reading,” she said. “But we know that some people are just reluctant readers. There are other ways to get that engagement — hiking, learning a new skill, taking on a hobby, trying a new recipe. The brain is a muscle, and if you don’t use it regularly, then it loses some of its efficiency.”

Reading and learning are vital to maintaining cognitive health, which is why seniors are encouraged to get in on the 2024 Summer Adventure, Bamesberger said.

“This is a really great opportunity for seniors to get out of their comfort zones and actively work on their cognitive health,” Bamesberger said. “We will have programs specifically for seniors in addition to the programs we’re offering for kids, teens and adults.”

Participants aged 0-18 will earn a free book just for signing up, and they can earn another prize upon completion of the program, officials said. Adults ages 19 and over will be entered into a grand prize drawing upon registration.

You don’t need to be a library cardholder to join the program, but “a library card gives you more access to books and makes completing the program that much easier,” Funke said. “Besides, it’s free, so why not get one?”

Participants can track and log their progress using the Beanstack app, or by using a game card that can be picked up at any PPLD location.

At the end of the summer, the district will throw parties for all participants at the East and Fountain library branches, as well as the annual summer concert series at the Palmer Lake library.

Last year, more than 17,000 children and teens signed up for the summer reading program, Bamesberger said. This year, with the age limits removed, PPLD officials are hoping even more El Paso County residents will consider adding the library to their list of summer activities.

“We’ve been doing this for 50 years,” Funke said. “There are a lot of people in this community, myself included, who remember doing this when were growing up. It’s been a long and loved tradition in our community.”

For more information, visit ppld.org/summer.