San Rafael, CA – When it comes to education, kids need to be engaged all year long to spark and feed their sense of curiosity. They deserve a double dose of fun when school is out and a reminder that – News Flash! – learning can be fun, too. That’s the whole idea around the Summer Learning Tote Bags program offered by the Marin County Free Library (MCFL) and First 5 Marin.
The free backpacks have been a hit with young library patrons.
Distribution, which is free to the young recipients, is ramping up this month at MCFL branches and locations visited by MCFL’s Learning Bus, with some already successful visits in the last week to Bolinas, Point Reyes, and Corte Madera and more to come in July and August. The tote bags include pencil, paper, a sharpener, crayons, a coloring/activity book, glue stick, scissors, colored markers, coloring books, watercolor set, and containers of Play-Doh.
“MCFL’s partnership with First 5 Marin and our innovative Learning Bus is advancing educational outcomes in Marin County,” said MCFL Director Lana Adlawan. “We are grateful to be able to provide families with the necessary supplies to ensure school success and a great first day of school for everyone.”
The Learning Bus is the library’s free drop-in mobile preschool program. The bus delivers bilingual activities that support early childhood development through exploration, stories, songs, games, art, and lots of fun. Classes are designed for children up to 5 years old and provide a great opportunity for parents to engage with their children while preparing them for school.
Learning Bus staff will provide outdoor storytime and free books at each event, courtesy of Friends of the Marin County Free Library and the Marin County Library Foundation. Here is the schedule:
- Thursday, July 21, 10:30 a.m., Novato Library
- Tuesday, July 26, noon, Pickleweed Park, San Rafael
- Thursday, July 28, 11:30 a.m., South Novato Library
- Saturday, July 30, noon, Rocky Graham Park, Marin City
- Tuesday, August 2, 11 a.m., Civic Center
- Friday, August 12, 10 a.m., Fairfax Library
First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission provides strategic investments, policy leadership and community partnerships to support families and empower all children grow, learn and thrive. The commission has invested $1 million over the last 20 years to support the important work of the Learning Bus staff and approved $25,000 to purchase the supplies included in the tote bags this year.
“Our youngest learners have been through a lot the last two years with the pandemic, and we want to make sure we support every possible learning opportunity we can to prepare them for school and life,” said First 5 Marin Executive Director Dr. Pegah Faed. “The summer learning bags will offer fun learning activities to facilitate learning during the summer.”
MCFL strives to be the preferred place for local children, families and caregivers to connect, learn and grow together. Learn more online about MCFL’s programs for kids.
Would you like to contribute to the Summer Learning Tote Bags program? Check the MCFL’s foundation webpage.