Multi-Cultural Literacy Kit Launch

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Saturday, January 21st, 2017
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

The Harbourfront Branch of Vancouver Island Regional Library will be hosting a drop-in event for families and caregivers of young children. The free event is a launch of an exciting new initiative by the Greater Nanaimo Early Years Partnership (GNEYP) to promote culturally-specific literacy kits for children 0-6 years of age and will feature multicultural story-telling, free books for families to take home, and a first look at the diverse range of kits that will be available to borrow through the VIRL. Literacy kits are designed to help actively encourage early literacy skills using a collection of materials (books, CDs, videos, toys and activities) related to a particular theme. The library already has literacy kits with themes like pirates, and zoo animals. But thanks to the hard work of GNEYP’s Cultural Awareness Committee, they will now be able to offer kits that will connect with a child’s individual cultural heritage, or help children to learn about diverse cultures that make up the fabric of their community. The initial idea for the cultural literacy kits came, of course, from a child. Says Joy Bremner, who serves on the GNEYP Cultural Awareness Committee “My granddaughter Brookelyn and I were at the library looking at the literacy kits and she asked me where the kit for Metis children was. She didn’t see herself or her culture represented in the books or materials available.” After encouraging her granddaughter to talk to the librarian, it became clear that there was a lack of culturally-specific resources available, not only for Metis children, but for a host of other cultures as well. Brookelyn, now 12 years old, actually helped put together the Metis kit and even recorded a few songs for it – in the traditional Michif language, no less. With the launch of these new literacy kits, Nanaimo families will now have access to books, activities and music from a dozen different cultures including Metis, Japanese, Arabic, Serbian and Russian. “This new addition to the library resources allows us to be inclusive of all cultures represented in Nanaimo,” enthuses GNEYP committee member Swedini Halliday, “From Coast Salish communities to newly-arrived immigrants who are making Nanaimo their home.” The kits can be borrowed from any branch of the VIRL for up to 3 weeks at a time. Each kit contains a series of age-appropriate books (many of them in the native language of the culture), and a combination of activities, CDs, DVDs or toys, all contained in a handy backpack.