Summer Learning 2025: Dive into Discovery

Waves of free events, learning challenges, and live music, dance, and animal shows are now taking place all across Kitsap. June 1 marked the beginning of Kitsap Regional Library's annual Summer Learning program, an immersive series of free experiences, opportunities, and invitations that have been offered by the county's public library system since 1956.

Designed to prevent what's known as "Summer Slide," the program aims to inspire those of all ages, but particularly school-age children, to continue learning, reading, and exploring during a time of year when children face the highest risk of academic decline. To that end, library staff spend more than a year planning summer-themed activities and scheduling performances that feature talented performers, including the Vuelta la Luna Circus, encounters with Australian animals and local birds of prey, School of Taiko drummers, Science Heroes, and many, many others. Thousands of Kitsap residents and visitors attend these shows each year, and over the next three months, we expect to see thousands return as others experience Summer Learning for the first time. 

Summer Learning also features two signature challenges—the Read Something and Do Something challenges. 

The Read Something Challenge encourages participants to read 10 hours, then 40 more, and then really push to read another 50 hours to reach the 100-hour goal before summer's end. At each stage, participants are awarded prizes, including a free book or journal, an octopus book bag, and a 100-hour collectible pin or t-shirt. Last year, we partnered with the Seattle Storm to give game tickets to youth readers who finished 10 hours, and we're delighted to partner with the Storm again to reward kids and families with the chance to start their summer off with a slam dunk as they read together.

"Basketball is one of my favorite sports, shared Kalleigh, a 13-year-old from Bremerton. "I got to attend my first women's WNBA game for reading. It was the first time I had seen a professional basketball game in person. That was so cool." 

Kalleigh and her family have been participating in Summer Learning for seven years, and initially got started while living abroad in Japan, continuing to take on the challenges from San Diego, and finally getting to join in person when her father was stationed in Bremerton. Over the years, taking on the challenges cultivated a real love of reading in Irvine.

"Reading is an adventure," she said. "It's fun and the best part is: if you don't like the book you are reading, you can always get a new one and start a new adventure."

Many families share stories like this. Mei Ling is eight now, but was so eager that she began reading at three, quickly outpacing picture books to take on chapter books and is now tackling more complicated genre books that blend fairy tales with modern settings and events.

Mei Ling's personal goal this summer is ambitious: "I want to read the whole library—the whole kids section." She plans to start with chapter books, "the really thick ones," but isn't sure where to start since she's already read nearly all the books in the children's mystery section at Sylvan Way, her local branch. (She's likely to reach her goal given she read more than 100 hours this March alone.) Kyoko, her 3-year-old younger sister, was inspired to also get literary, and often seeks book recommendations from her favorite library staff member, Miss Marcia. 

Those who take on the Library's Do Something Challenge—setting their own educational goals and sending us a brief story of how it shaped their summer—will be entered to win their choice of a local aquarium or zoo membership, a gift certificate to a community bookstore, or a Nintendo Switch Lite. Each of our nine branches will draw a name for each of the prize categories—meaning at least 27 community members will wind up with big end-of-summer prizes.

A detailed description of programs and performances, Summer Learning challenges, partner organizations, and sponsors can be found at KRL.org/Summer.