Improving child literacy throughout Brown County is the goal of a new initiative that launched Tuesday. July 7, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Improving child literacy throughout Brown County is the goal of a new initiative that launched Tuesday.
The Brown County Public Library is trying to address the summer reading slump.
It comes as literacy rates in the area struggle to improve.
Helping kids improve their reading skills is the focus of the new “ABC Conmigo | ABC With Me” program.
It’s a community-wide literacy initiative to help kids learn letters and new words ahead of kindergarten.
“One of the best things that we can do for our kids is to talk about those letters, right? It’s really important that as children get ready and really learn the alphabet that they know their letters,” Brown County Library Executive Director Sarah Sugden said.
The program is a collaboration between the Brown County Public Library, Casa Alba Melanie and Achieve Brown County.
When families are out in the community, they’ll see signs with letters of the alphabet on them.
This will spark conversation between kids and parents about learning.
Sugden said just over half of Brown County third graders are meeting reading benchmarks.
“We believe that every kid has the potential to be a great reader and we as a community need to rally around those parents and those caregivers and those kids,” Sugden said.
A private donor gave $3,300 to pay for the signs.
Various organizations like schools, libraries, museums and more throughout Brown County are participating in the program. All they have to do is ask for the signs and put them in the ground.
The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the many places you’ll be able to find the ABC signs this summer.
“Literacy is I think that’s number one. Again, if kids don’t know how to read, they’re not going to be very successful in the community,” Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Chief Naturalist Kim Diedrich said.
Diedrich is excited to help educate the community’s kids and plans to tailor it to the sanctuary.
“It’s just a great opportunity for people to look for letters, but also we then can incorporate some of our animals that are on exhibit as well,” Diedrich said.
The goal is for the program to continue throughout summer and for years to come.
The library is looking for more people and organizations to participate.
If you would like signs, you’re encouraged to call the Brown County Public Library at (920) 448-4400.
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