As part of the “Adventure Begins in Your Library” summer reading program, the Luverne Public Library has various activities planned. In July, events are split between three age groups and geared for entertaining audiences ranging from pre-school to 12-year-olds. 

“I think schools, libraries and businesses focus more on STEM now than they ever have before,” said Kathryn Tomlin, director for the Luverne Library. “We have a lot of students, who are homeschooled and don’t necessarily do what they’re doing in the public schools. That’s what we’re trying to focus on, to have the kids develop life skills with what they’re learning.” 

For ages nine through 12, the library is collaborating again with 4-H to provide educational activities based around science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and cooking. 

Throughout the year, a cooking club meets monthly at the Luverne Library to teach children about different cooking skills. However, during the month of July, students will meet three times for events led by the 4-H youth development coordinator Charlotte Petre. Petre will be teaching kids about different cooking skills and the science behind cooking. 

“[Cooking and STEM concepts are] both lifelong skills,” Petre said. “We all have to eat, so we all need to learn some basics about cooking, and STEM just gives you a good understanding of how the world works, and how to work through those troubleshooting skills when you have an issue, and learning what to change to try to make something work.” 

For ages three through eight, Tomlin will be instructing art classes, and the children will create various art projects.

“I think that children, when they’re young, they’re very creative, and they’re very open to art projects that don’t have to look like what [they] do as an adult,” Tomlin said. “As [they] get older, children tend to lose that, unfortunately. I want them to enjoy whatever their mind can come up with, that’s the fun part of doing a little simple art project with the smaller kids, just seeing what they can come up with. I think they need to develop that aspect of creativity.”

For preschool aged children, the Luverne Library will have Mommie and Me Story Time each Tuesday at 10 a.m.

The summer reading events for July will begin July 9, and will take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. The 4-H Stem and Cooking will be held Thursdays on July 11, 18 and 25, and the art programs take place Tuesdays on July 9, 16 and 23. 

All of the Luverne Library’s events are free to the public. For more information, check out library events on social media.