Youngsters are enjoying Story Time in the Park events, designed to keep kids engaged and reading as a way to combat the so-called “summer brain drain.”
The annual six-week Title 1 program is sponsored by Albuquerque Public Schools and is geared toward elementary school children and their families.
In conjunction with Story Time in the Park events, the city and county also conduct a summer lunch program, providing children with free midday meals.
During a normal pre-COVID year, children and parents would go to a program location where teachers and staff would read to and with the children and pass out free books. The children would also get a free lunch.
This year, Story Time in the Park was held at 28 locations, mostly parks, but also some community centers and low-income housing communities.
Because of COVID, books and lunches were handed out via a grab-and-go drive-thru lane.
The free lunch portion of the program will continue through Aug. 6 at designated locations from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For a complete listing go to cabq.gov or bernco.gov, and search for “summer lunch program.”
