When the vision was created for Storybook Village, Oceanside Building Learning Together Society (BLT) and the community rallied together to make it happen. Community members, organizations and businesses from all over Oceanside built StoryBook Village on the grounds of what is now the former Qualicum Beach Elementary School. Funding came from various grants and private donations and the buildings were assembled by local businesses and community partners at a major Build-A-Thon on May 30th, 2010. After almost 5 years in operation, due to maintenance costs and vandalism, the future of SBV is in jeopardy.
=0D=0A=BLT is hosting a community meeting to discuss the future Storybook Village. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. Judi Malcolm manages BLT's programs and says "It is important to know if the community values SBV. If they do, we need to find a way to sustain it. The physical maintenance of the grounds and buildings are just too much for our limited resources."
=0D=0A=As an outdoor setting for learning-through-play, the village has child sized houses linked by a paved roadway for pedal cars, trikes and bikes with traffic light and signs, just like a real village. There is a fire hall, theatre, Victorian house, gas station, grocery store, library, bank and hospital. The village is available to all children, any day of the week and at special events the buildings are open and the kid powered vehicles are rolled out to be used (helmets included). Staff member Odette Herr, who can often be found donning helmets on children’s heads during these special events sees all kinds of families enjoying playing together. “It has even become a tourist destination for families that take their holidays in Oceanside. Many of these young families are visiting grandparents in the area and all three generations come to Storybook Village together. One year we put up a map and we had a visitor from every continent in the world”.
=0D=0A=These eight child sized play houses host a variety of activities throughout the year. Many of the youngest of our Oceanside residents have ridden bikes, trikes, and peddle cars safely on the roundabout roadway. Spooktacular takes place every October when many costumed families make their own paper lantern to guide them through the village. The bike rodeo is a fun way for children to learn bicycle safety. During special events, many community partners stage a house with fun activities like an archeological dig, storytelling, play dough exploration, face painting and other activities.
=0D=0A=Oceanside Building Learning Together is a nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to enhance life-long learning by supporting strong family relationships and building community capacity through effective learning opportunities. Since 1999, community partners in the Oceanside area have been working together to support individuals and families in their journey of Learning Across Generations. BLT began its focus on early learning, but always recognized that children don't live in isolation; they come with families, grandparents, siblings and all kinds of connections in the community.
DTSTART:19691231 DTEND:19700101 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR