When it's reading time at the Rehoboth Beach Boys & Girls Club, one young member knows exactly which books she likes best: “Pete the Cat” and “Fancy Nancy.” Reading time, she said, makes her feel happy and is one of her favorite parts of the day at the club.

This summer, that daily reading time was part of a larger statewide effort to support young readers when school is out. In summer 2025, Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware delivered the BookNook literacy program across 13 club locations as a partner in United Way of Delaware’s Get Delaware Reading initiative.

John Wellons, Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware CEO, said the partnership shows how community organizations can support learning beyond the school year.

“Summer is an important time to keep young people connected to learning, support and caring adults,” he said. “Through BookNook and our partnership with United Way of Delaware, club members had structured time to practice reading in a place they already know and trust. The results show the value of bringing literacy support into community spaces where young people spend their summer days.”

The statewide initiative reached nearly 2,500 students across 50 sites. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware locations, 1,100 students participated in BookNook sessions, completing more than 6,800 sessions during the seven-week summer program.

The program comes as families, schools and community organizations continue to focus on summer learning loss, often called the “summer slide.” Get Delaware Reading brings structured literacy support into summer programs and community spaces where children already spend time during the summer.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, BookNook sessions were included in summer camp programming. Students received short, targeted reading lessons while continuing to take part in the broader club experience, including recreation, mentoring and time with peers.

Across Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware locations, 59% of participating students improved at least one lesson band, according to program results shared by the organization. Because each lesson band represents about three months of reading growth, students gained an average of 2.56 lesson bands, or nearly eight months of progress, while practicing 179 literacy standards through the program.

For staff, the program is about more than completing reading sessions. It also gives young people time to practice, ask questions, talk about what they are learning and build confidence.

“Reading is important because it will help them,” said Dupree Lee, a youth professional at Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware. “They can also tell their own story about what they have learned through reading, and they will be able to come up with their own creative story one day.”

Lee said the goal is to create a reading space where young people feel respected and encouraged.

“When a child walks into the BookNook, I hope they feel understood, heard and listened to,” Lee said. “I hope they can feel confident that we’re not going to talk down to them or put them down, that we’re going to uplift and encourage them.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware serves more than 20,000 young people statewide through out-of-school programs that include academic support, youth development, prevention, leadership and future readiness. The organization reports that 94% of participating young people say they feel cared for, and 91% say they feel accepted.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware officials said they will continue working with United Way of Delaware and other community partners to support literacy and academic stability during out-of-school time.

To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, visit bgclubs.org. To learn more about Get Delaware Reading, visit uwde.org/GDRsummer.