Halmstad municipality has reportedly secured funding from Sweden's National Council for Cultural Affairs (Statens kulturråd) to continue its "Läsa äger" (Reading Rules) program through summer 2026. The initiative, which pairs older students with younger children to maintain reading skills during summer vacation, will continue for another year according to local reports.
Eighteen-year-old Ella Lundqvist, who served as one of Halmstad's reading ambassadors last summer, explained the program's appeal: "If an older student comes, you might think reading is a bit cool." The program aims to make reading more engaging for children by having teenage ambassadors read with them at after-school centers.
If an older student comes, you might think reading is a bit cool.
Last summer, 59 young people were selected as reading ambassadors in Halmstad as part of their summer employment, working with children at recreational centers. The "Läsa äger" project began as a pilot study in Botkyrka in 2018 with the goal of keeping children reading during summer break and has since spread to several municipalities.
The program in Halmstad is reportedly operated through collaboration between the municipality's Child and Youth Administration, Education and Labor Market Administration, and Cultural Administration. The continued funding ensures the reading ambassador initiative will operate for at least one more summer season.