Every summer, more than 6,000 Redwood City and Redwood Shores students take part in the Summer Learning Challenge (SLC). Kids receive a free book, commit to reading daily, track their progress, and earn another book when they finish. This helps them build their own home libraries with books they choose.

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Summer learning loss hits hardest for children facing learning challenges, language barriers, or economic hardship. The SLC helps prevent that slide by keeping kids reading, learning, and engaged all summer long.

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Last year, our community raised $35,000 to purchase over 7,000 books. Rising book costs, especially for popular graphic novels, mean we must raise more this year to meet the demand. For this summer’s SLC,  we have committed to raising $40,000 to ensure the program reaches every child who wants to participate.

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Teen Interns help make it all possible.

Teen Interns support book distribution, summer activities, and Makerspace programs while gaining paid work experience and leadership skills. For many, this is their first job—building confidence, responsibility, and career readiness. They also serve as role models for younger readers and help strengthen community connections.

This year, we have committed to raising $15,000 to fund Teen Interns who help deliver the Summer Learning Challenge.

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Together, these programs keep kids learning, give teens opportunity, and strengthen our community.

Summer Learning Challenge Adoption Levels
Your support for the Summer Learning Challenge (SLC) and Teen Interns makes a significant difference in the lives of children in our community to prevent summer learning loss. By donating to purchase books for students, or by adopting a classroom or a grade level, you help ensure that every child has the opportunity to continue learning and growing over the summer.