Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley (BGCAZ) has announced the launch of the 2025 Summer Reading Initiative, in partnership with Amazon Prime Air and supported by the Maricopa County Library District’s “Color Our World” program.

This collaboration is set to inspire a lifelong love of reading, according to a press release, as well as combat summer learning loss and celebrate every young reader in Valley clubs.

“In the wake of severely declining reading proficiency across Arizona, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative marks a powerful response to an urgent educational need,” the release continued.

According to BGCAZ CEO Marcia Mintz, literacy is the foundation for every child’s success in and out of the classroom.

“This program doesn’t just prevent summer learning loss; rather, it inspires joy, imagination, and achievement in every club member,” Mintz said. “Together, we’re building stronger futures — one story at a time.”

This year’s Summer Reading Initiative introduces a suite of features:

• Dual Tracking System: External – Clubs will register at MaricopaCountyReads.com to log progress. Internal – BGCAZ’s custom Reading Minutes Tracker allows Clubs to recognize achievements at the local level.
• Family Partnerships: Parents and caregivers will play an essential role in logging minutes and supporting consistent reading at home.
• Fun Incentives: Readers will earn rewards as they “color” their way across the game board designed to track their progress, with prizes provided by partners Whataburger and Raising Cane’s.

For questions about the program or to get the ball rolling on the Summer Reading Initiative through BGCAS, contact Cassidy Campana at cassidy.campana@bgcaz.org.