Kirk Watson

We’re celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the United States with the Mayor’s USA 250 Community Read! From now to July 4th, I’m encouraging Austinites to spend 250 minutes reading books about American history.

You can track your reading through Beanstack, an online reading challenge platform and engage with library resources throughout the summer.

Austinites of all ages are welcome to participate in the challenge and youth participants who complete the challenge will be eligible to receive a commemorative completion certificate, available for pickup at Austin Public Library locations beginning in mid-June.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/Mayors250

I also hosted a Teen Town Hall on Friday to talk about my Community Read and hear from young people across our city about the issues that matter to them most. I shared with them that one of my favorite memories of growing up was reading. Reading created a sense of belonging and being a part of something bigger than myself. That’s why is so important.

If we focus our energy on a citywide movement to make Austin the best place to be a kid, we can create moments where our young people can feel like they belong and are heard.