QPL Teams Up This Summer With the American Museum of Natural History, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the Museum of the City of New York To Offer Learning Clubs for Kids on Summer Break
Limited Spots Remain Open
Queens, NY_Spaces are still available in Queens Public Library’s new summer learning clubs, developed in collaboration with three leading New York City cultural institutions: the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and the American Museum of Natural History. The clubs aim to help inspire budding ocean and urban explorers, while keeping school-age children engaged during summer break.
Parents and caregivers have until Monday, July 4, to sign up their children for one of the clubs, called “STACKS Summer Reading Clubs.” The clubs evolved from the Library’s popular STACKS enrichment program, offering children both homework assistance and programming to enhance their learning experiences during the school year.
The clubs will convene throughout July and in early August and kids can attend remotely or at four QPL locations: Briarwood, Laurelton, South Jamaica, and Jackson Heights. These locations also provide free lunch for children and teens as part of the New York City Department of Education Summer Meals Program. Children are invited to eat a free meal between 1-2PM, before the club “meeting” starts.
Open to students in grades K through six, the clubs will offer structured activities, designed to stimulate creative thinking, develop educational skills and help children learn and explore their interests.
The subjects that will be covered in the clubs align with this year’s Summer Reading theme – Oceans of Possibilities.
Students in the “Ocean Exploration and Beyond” club will learn about the world beneath the oceans from a representative of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Recommended for grades 3 and up, the club will meet on Tuesdays, July 5, 12, 19, 26, between 2-3PM.
Children participating in the “Art and Creativity in NYC” club will travel virtually throughout New York City with the Museum of the City of New York, exploring art, transportation, and more - both past and present. The club is recommended for grades K through six and will meet on Wednesdays, July 6, 13, 20, 27, August 3, between 1-2PM.
Aspiring marine biologists who join the “Ocean Explorer’s Club with the American Museum of Natural History” will learn about different underwater habitats like coral reefs, and how to use recycled materials to recreate them. Recommended for grades K through six, the club will meet on Thursdays, July 14, 21, 28, between 2-3PM.
“We are thrilled to partner this summer with the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and the American Museum of Natural History – three leading New York City institutions dedicated to making scientific and historic knowledge accessible,” said QPL Director of Programming Franny Kent. “Through our collaboration, STACKS students will have unique opportunities to engage in fun and inspiring activities designed by reputable researchers, developing their interests and learning even when school is out.”
To register, parents and caregivers should fill out release forms (you can find them here: The Ocean Exploration and Beyond Club, The Art and Creativity in NYC Club, and Ocean’s Explorer’s Club), and email the signed forms to stacks@queenslibrary.org by Monday, July 4, to receive a confirmation email with more information, including a link to sign on to each virtual club.
In addition to the clubs, QPL also offers numerous activities, storytimes in multiple languages as well as arts and crafts for children throughout the summer months. For more information go here.
About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded 126 years ago, QPL offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in multiple languages, technology and digital resources, and more than 80,000 educational, cultural, and civic programs annually. QPL consists of 66 locations across the borough, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center, and two teen centers, and attracted more than 11 million visitors in 2019.
CONTACT: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org