When the Chicago Public Library Foundation wanted to get the word out about the 2015 Summer Learning Challenge, RPM was there to help encourage Chicago’s young readers to soar to new heights.

RPM developed a campaign to engage Chicago families in the challenge, bringing together Astronaut James Lovell and Anchorman Bill Kurtis. The two legends poked fun at themselves while casting a bright spotlight on the Chicago Public Library’s space- and aeronautics-themed 2015 Summer Learning Challenge “Explore and Soar.”

Take a look at the spot below.

The campaign’s goal was to attract donations to make a summer of reading, creativity and discovery possible for more than 80,000 kids – and create greater visibility for the visionary program. This year’s results far exceeded expectations, with 99,000 children participating in Explore and Soar. Chicago kids read and reported on 72 million minutes of reading and learning, a notable increase over the previous year.

The learning challenge, also known as Rahm’s Readers, is a free program funded through the CPLF designed to combat the learning loss that occurs from not engaging in educational activities over the summer months. The eight-week program encourages, inspires and motivates children and parents to learn and explore in the summer time. Redesigned to incorporate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) disciplines and attract children with diverse areas of interest, the Summer Learning Challenge is a model being replicated in libraries across the U.S.

Explore and Soar, in partnership with the Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry, had kids, teens and their parents exploring all things in the skies above. Highlights of this summer’s program included field trips to two museums, presentations by astronauts, and a live LinkUp with the International Space Station.