LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — The Luke Air Force Base Library kicked off the “Plant a Seed, Read” summer reading program with a petting zoo, arts and crafts activities, and a free lunch for children and families at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
Airmen and their families also learned more about the summer-long reading initiative sponsored by the Department of Defense Morale, Welfare and Recreation Libraries. A vast majority of DoD MWR Libraries on military installations worldwide aim to create welcoming environments for child and adult readers to build and continue long-term reading habits, explore creativity and connect with community from May 25 – Sept. 6.
“We want to make summer a little easier for parents while also creating opportunities for children to learn, grow and stay engaged,” said Jennifer Crowell, 56th Force Support Squadron’s Luke AFB Library director.
The 2026 program is scheduled to provide free lunches for participating children to align with themes of exploring culture, science, history, health, and human connection in addition to promoting literacy and helping to support military communities.
“By providing a free lunch and fun activities centered around reading, we're able to pour into our children and help foster a lifelong love of learning,” Crowell said.
The program is scheduled to meet every Wednesday throughout the summer. According to DoD MWR Libraries and national research, students in library summer reading programs score higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the following school year than those who didn’t.
“Plant a Seed, Read” also reinforces Luke AFB's commitment to Airmen by supporting the people who enable mission success by investing in service members and families.