Albuquerque Public Schools
Students and Staff Celebrated for Summer Reading Success
APS students helped make the 2026 Club Read program the biggest in its 23-year history, with East San Jose Elementary earning a special award for reaching 100% participation.
Summer reading reached new heights this year as APS students joined thousands of young readers across New Mexico for Club Read, the annual summer reading program presented by Dion’s Pizza and the Albuquerque Isotopes.
The 2026 program set a record with 8,639 first scorecards redeemed by students from 226 schools, with participants reporting that they read more than 59,000 books throughout the summer. Club Read encourages students in pre-K through fifth grade to keep reading during the summer by rewarding them for reaching reading milestones.
Four students were selected as Grand Prize winners and will be honored with honorary first pitches at an Albuquerque Isotopes game. Among them are two APS students: Dante Hodges, a fourth-grader at Manzano Mesa Elementary, and John Sternat, a kindergartner at Desert Willow Family School.
APS is also celebrating two East San Jose Elementary leaders who were recognized with the 2026 Laura Rasmussen Love of Reading Award. Family Liaison Ana Salinas and Community School Impact Coordinator Sarah Aguilera-Prado worked together to make Club Read accessible and engaging for the entire school, helping East San Jose reach 100% participation among its more than 300 students.
Their recognition highlights the impact of strong school-community partnerships and the dedicated educators and staff who help make reading a joyful part of students’ lives beyond the classroom.
Reading is also central to APS Goal 1: Early Literacy, which focuses on ensuring students build the strong reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. Opportunities like Club Read help extend that learning outside the classroom, encouraging students to make reading a regular part of their summer while building confidence, curiosity and a lifelong love of books.
Congratulations to all of our APS students, families and staff who helped make this summer of reading such a success! Thank you to Dion’s Pizza and the Albuquerque Isotopes for supporting our students in such a meaningful way.