Story Time in the Park adds high school readers, free meals in Albuquerque

The biggest change in Story Time in the Park is the addition of high school readers, ages 14 to 18, who will read aloud to younger children at 17 Albuquerque parks while families pick up free lunches nearby. Albuquerque Public Schools says two student readers will be assigned to each park, turning the program into both a literacy effort and a work-based learning opportunity.

The kickoff is set for Sunday, June 7, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Isotopes Park, 1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez SE. APS says the launch will include books, help signing up for reading clubs, snacks, face painting and other kid-friendly activities. After that, Story Time in the Park will run from June 8 through July 17, with sessions held between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will be no program on June 19 for Juneteenth, and the schedule will pause during the week of June 29 through July 3.

APS says the program was built to get books into children’s hands and help prevent summer learning loss. The sessions are meant to give families read-aloud time, free books and ideas for activities they can continue at home. KRQE Cares Book for Kids is helping distribute more than 1,800 new books across June and July, widening the reach of the program beyond the park events themselves.

The literacy effort is tied directly to the city and county summer meal network. APS says some City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County meal sites will also host Story Time in the Park, and the combined network reaches more than 100 meal sites across Albuquerque. Free lunches are available to anyone 18 and younger, with no advance sign-up required.

The meal programs have deep roots in Bernalillo County. The City of Albuquerque says its Summer Meals Program has operated for more than 50 years and serves thousands of young people each year. Bernalillo County says its Summer Lunch Program has provided thousands of free and nutritious meals to children in need every summer for more than 50 years. The county’s 2026 program began Monday, June 1, while the city says park meal service began June 3 and community centers will start June 15.

For families juggling work, childcare and summer schedules, the appeal is simple: one stop can mean lunch, books and a structured activity for children. By pairing student readers with meal sites, APS, Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque are using neighborhood parks as a place for both nourishment and learning.