Community Literacy Festival

What:      

“The ABCs of Reading: Art, Books and Creativity” is the theme of the April 21 “Community Literacy Festival,” featuring activities for children, teens, parents, grandparents and teachers. Book authors and book signings, storytelling, workshops and more highlight the free, public event on the Cal State Fullerton Irvine Campus.

Caption: “Be There Bedtime Stories” founder Alison Sansone will present “Kid-Friendly Technology for the Read-Aloud Experience,” which creates a children's e-book using a webcam- or iPad-recorded video of a storyteller.

When:     

Saturday, April 21
11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where:     

Cal State Fullerton Irvine Campus
3 Banting, Irvine, 92618

Schedule:

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.  Gourmet food trucks

1-2 p.m. Opening ceremony with remarks by CSUF administrators and welcome by Tuffy Titan and CSUF Spirit Squad

12-2 p.m. Vendor fair, tours of the CSUF Irvine Campus, activities and entertainment for children

2-4 p.m.  Workshop presentations (14 concurrent sessions): Topics range from how to use social media and the web to grow a business and writing for the workplace, to careers in video game design, plus storytelling through bilingual children's books. Free face painting and balloon animals offered for children.

Why:     

“The Literacy Festival celebrates the magic of storytelling and children’s books, while raising awareness of the lifelong power of literacy,” said Julie Chan, festival chair and a lecturer in reading. “This community event gives children, families and teachers the opportunity to meet authors, illustrators and others who promote the wonderful world of literature.”

Workshops Sampler:   

Caption: Children’s author Anne C. Bromley will lead a workshop April 21.

2-3 p.m. (grades 2-4), 3-4 p.m. (grades 5-8) — Children’s author Anne C. Bromley will share “From Inspiration to Publication: The Journey of a Picture Book,” discussing what it takes to create a publishable picture book and showing slides from her new book, “The Lunch Thief.”

2-3 p.m. (grades K-1), 3-4 p.m. (toddlers and preschoolers) — “Whimsical Tales of Halloween,” presented by author Mary Ruth Hughes, who will share her “Halloween Haunt” series of children's books. Parents and children will read and sing along with the presentation.

2-3 p.m. (parents and grandparents) — “Be There Bedtime Stories” founder Alison Sansone presents “Kid-Friendly Technology for the Read-Aloud Experience,” which creates a children's e-book using a webcam- or iPad-recorded video of a storyteller. In this session, participants will learn how long-distance relatives, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, traveling parents or family members in the military, can connect with children through a unique read-aloud technology.

2-3 p.m. (K-12 teachers and adults) — “How to Conduct Free Virtual Author Visits in Your Classroom or Book Club Using Skype,” presented by Julie Niles Petersen, CSUF lecturer in reading. Participants will learn about more than 150 authors who offer free, 20-minute Q&A Skype sessions with classes and book clubs. Additional resources online.

Free Parking:      

Visitors who park on the CSUF side of the parking lot can park for free and not be cited. Map and parking information are available online.

Registration:      

Due to limited seating, online preregistration is recommended to reserve seats for the family at http://www.fullerton.edu/litfestival. For more information, contact Julie Chan at 657-278-1694 or juchan@fullerton.edu

Media Contacts:     

Julie Chan at  juchan@fullerton.edu
Debra Cano Ramos, 657-278-4027 or dcanoramos@fullerton.edu

Caption: Children and parents browse a display of a book offered by the author at a recent literacy festival on the CSUF Irvine Campus.