EPL Summer Camps: A Recipe for Success!
Edmonton Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Summer should be a time for fun and exploration, but for many families, summer camps are out of reach. Kids from low-income or marginalized communities face barriers that lead to learning loss, social isolation, and health risks, yet they are also the ones who benefit the most from engaging literacy and learning opportunities. Recognizing this, the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) developed Cook up a Story, a free, full-day summer camp for children aged 9-11. The program removes barriers by providing transportation to the library, free lunches and snacks, with registration through a community partner to reach children from vulnerable areas. Cook Up a Story camps include cooking classes, writing workshops, Makerspace activities and more. Each camp runs six hours a day, five days a week, for seven weeks, with different groups each week.
Challenge/Opportunity
Research shows that children can lose more than a month of learning over the summer. Those already struggling academically or from low-income or socially vulnerable households typically experience the greatest loss. Yet these same children face barriers to accessing quality cultural, educational, and recreational programs, as summer camps are often cost-prohibitive. While some low-cost programs exist, few offer the full range of supports families need, including transportation, nutrition, and diverse learning opportunities. To address this gap, the Edmonton Public Library partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton (BGCBigs) to create the Cook up a Story summer camp, offered at no cost to participants. Through hands-on experiences in robotics, cooking, writing, and more, the camps help kids stay engaged and return to class ready to succeed.
Key Elements of Innovation
EPL’s Cook Up a Story Summer Camp is an innovative solution to the challenge of reaching socially vulnerable children who benefit most from literacy and learning opportunities. EPL fundraised to provide each child with transportation to and from the downtown library, nutritious lunches and snacks, a customized apron made with vinyl heat press for cooking classes and supplies to create and bind their own notebook to record the week’s reading, writing, gaming, and crafting experiences – all at no cost to them. EPL partnered with BGCBigs to recruit and register participants, handle permissions and arrange busses and staff to supervise up to 25 kids from seven different locations to the library and back every day for a week. EPL led all other aspects of the program, including program design, content, and delivery. This model reimagines summer learning in libraries by integrating literacy and life skills through hands-on experiences.
Achieved Outcomes
In the summer of 2025, EPL ran seven summer camps reaching 175 kids. With up to 25 children per week, staff built meaningful connections and provided individual attention to support children with varying skill levels. Campers reported learning something new about the library and engaged in new cooking and digital literacy experiences like baking muffins and exploring the Makerspace - and nearly all eligible campers said they wanted to come back next year!
A partnership was created between EPL and BGCBigs: EPL provided staff, space, programming, transportation, and food, while BGCBigs provided extra staff and registration support to reach underserved families. This camp intentionally addressed a gap in programming for 9-11-year-olds, who are often overlooked for summer opportunities and subsidies. BGCBigs emphasized that this camp provided experiences with equipment and resources the kids wouldn't have had access to otherwise and expanded their community support network.
