Literacy Meets Community: How DREAM and Local Libraries Support Each Other

In the summer of 2025, I was a Summer Enrichment Manager for the Willowbrook DREAM site. One of our summer objectives is “Building Competent Readers,” which looks like providing our mentees with access to books, and scheduling reading time each day, at camp. We are always looking for new ways to make reading fun for our mentees, and that is how the connection between the Willowbrook site and the McCollough Library was born.

DREAM Connects with McCollough Library

Mentees and mentors at the Willowbrook site, which is part of the larger Bennington chapter, began visiting the John G. McCollough Library last summer. I worked with the McCollough Library staff to sign each of our mentees up for their summer reading challenge. In this challenge, mentees logged each minute that they read on a fun tracker sheet. Then, for every 80 minutes they spent reading, mentees earned a raffle ticket that they could add to the prize basket of their choosing. And, if mentees read for 1,000 minutes, they got to pick a prize from the library’s treasure chest. 

Mentor reading their mentee a picture book.

We kept each of our mentees’ reading trackers on-site, in a binder right on our bookshelf. Each day, when mentees read during programming, mentors would set a timer for them, then add the minutes to their tracker. And, when mentees read at home, they would come into camp the next day and ask us to add minutes to their trackers. 

Bella, a mentee, holding the prize basket she won and smiling.

We had many mentees who earned multiple raffle tickets over the course of the summer. However, we had one reader, Bella, who really went above and beyond. She read over 1,000 minutes, spending time reading both at camp and at home. She put all of the 13 tickets that she earned into the draw for one prize: a movie night basket with candy, popcorn, and a gift card for the local movie theater. Bella told mentors, every time she earned a ticket, that she wanted to win that basket so that she could share it with her mom and three younger siblings. Due to her dedication and deep desire for this prize, all of the Willowbrook mentors were thrilled when, at the end of the summer, the Youth Services Librarian, Martha, told us that Bella had won the movie night basket! Bella is a great example of how DREAM prioritizes increasing literacy throughout the summer. 

“The campers were very excited to earn tickets for reading [with] the chance to win some great prizes when they came weekly to the library. But also, they enjoyed checking books out, playing games, creating art, and playing with toys. It was so nice to introduce many of the young people to the library for the first time, get to know them a little, and then see some of the same faces this summer!” — Martha Bradford, Youth Services Librarian

Alongside the summer reading challenge, I also worked with the McCollough Library staff to sign our mentees up for library cards. The librarians gave me small cards for families to fill out with the information they needed to open an account. For about two weeks, the Willowbrook mentors were dedicated to ensuring our mentees were able to get their own library cards—every day at pick up/drop off, they would ask families about the information cards, and help families fill them out as needed. By mid-summer, most of our mentees received their own library cards and were able to check out books during our weekly visits to the library.

Both the motivation from the summer reading challenge, and the ability to check out books from the library’s ranging collection, boosted our mentees enthusiasm about reading. Suddenly, mentees who claimed they hated reading were filling up their reading trackers and earning raffle tickets. Though, this went beyond simply offering mentees a wider variety of books to read—it was also about the calm, welcoming, and fun atmosphere of the library. Our mentees felt comfortable and supported at the library, which made them want to work harder at their literacy goals. 

“One of the first times we went to the library, Abbi just wanted to play with the toys, but then, we made a cozy seat. We picked out a book and she fell asleep." — Matilda Lee, DREAM Mentor

Luckily, this valuable connection is still present today, as the Willowbrook mentees and mentors are still taking trips to the library this summer.

Lasting Connections and Continuing to Support Youth Literacy

Both mentees and mentors were excited to return to the library. “This summer, we just hit the ground running because of the familiarity and knowledge that was built during the previous summer,” Bradford told me. “The campers who attended DREAM the summer before were excited to return to the library and were able to visit their favorite parts of the collection and play with familiar toys and games.” By jumping back into the familiar routine, mentees and mentors were able to start right where they left off. Many mentees immediately returned to their favorite cozy reading spots and read their favorite books from last summer. 

Mentor reads to mentee at the library.

Another important part of the connection between DREAM and the McCollough Library is that it introduced mentees to a valuable and consistent community resource. “It (the library) has so much to offer!” Devan Spiro, a DREAM Mentor, shared. “It’s another way to open up the opportunity for the kids to see what the neighborhood has to offer.” While the Willowbrook site did take a few field trips to the library during this past school year, some families also made their own routines of going to the library, which is an immensely important impact. 

The Power of Community

The connection between the Willowbrook site and the McCollough library is a great example of how strong community connections can benefit both youth and local organizations. If you are looking for a free, fun, and educational option for youth during summer, I highly recommend visiting your local library! Visiting the library regularly can boost youth’s reading scores and enthusiasm tremendously, which helps combat the summer slide. Additionally, many libraries offer other benefits, such as: free air conditioning, games and toys to play with, and even summer meals! 

“The McCullough Library has benefited from the connection with DREAM mostly by allowing campers the opportunity to visit [a] library in their community. Any exposure to new libraries is good exposure!” — Martha Bradford, Youth Services Librarian

If you are an individual volunteer or part of an organization who is interested in partnering with DREAM, I highly encourage you to reach out to your local DREAM site to see if there are any ways that you can collaborate. Local libraries, social service organizations, educational groups, and more have already partnered with DREAM!

Connect with your local DREAM chapter!