During the summer months when kids are out of school, they still need to eat healthy, stay safe, and continue to learn. A statewide campaign— GeorgiaSummer.org— highlights the importance of summer access to healthy meals, safe environments, and books and educational opportunities for children.
On the campaign website, parents and children will find a toolkit full of links to reading resources and summer activities. Here’s a sampling of the resources you’ll find:
A free service called Ready4KGA that allows families to subscribe to receive age-specific text messages to boost their child's learning (just text “GEORGIA” to 70138 to subscribe!);
Access to Georgia Public Broadcasting's summer learning programs;
A search tool for the closest public library;
A digital library of more than 10,000 books from Renaissance myON Digital Library, available to Georgia children and youth for free through Aug. 31; and
Links to educational games and literacy activities for all ages, including PebbleGo (pre-K-gr. 2) to teach technology and literacy skills, PebbleGo Next (gr. 3-5) with age-appropriate content and tools, and Capstone Interactive eBooks with more than 5,000 titles.
Families also will find a mapping tool that identifies summer meal sites— most located in schools, community facilities, worship centers, and apartment complexes— that offer free meals during the summer for children who might otherwise go hungry. FoodFinder, a mobile and web app designed by a GCPS graduate, helps families find free food assistance programs, including food pantries and co-ops.
The Look Again campaign reminds families and caregivers of the dangers of leaving children unattended in a vehicle, especially during hot weather.
Public and private partners across Georgia— including the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Georgia Public Library Service, and Georgia Public Broadcasting— came together to create this online toolkit with resources for summer reading, learning, safety, and meals.
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