Family Literacy Night occurred on Thursday, March 5, at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR). Organized by IALR and the organization’s Dan River Year AmeriCorps members, the event brought in 120 students and their families.
Participants engaged with 39 total stations, including 11 partner booths, many of which were inspired by popular children’s books. A total of 88 volunteers helped make the night possible.
Activities included crafts like bracelet-making, a sack race, Lego and Play-Doh construction projects, book giveaways and more. Three guest characters — Otter of the Danville Otterbots, Dollar of URW Community Federal Credit Union and Knighty the Mighty of Danville Community College — also made appearances and interacted with families during the event.
Stations were hosted by:
- Book Lady
- Atlantic Union Bank
- Danville Public Schools
- Martinsville Henry County Lions Club
- Pittsylvania County Public Library
- Pittsylvania County 4-H
- Danville Pittsylvania United Way
- River City Bricks & More
- Sow Simply Said Ministries
- URW Community Federal Credit Union
- Once Upon a Child
The evening featured a performance by the Brosville Elementary School Choir with 22 students singing two songs.
Each student received one free book from the Book Lady, and additional books were given away at several activity stations.
“Family Literacy Night is a wonderful opportunity to bring families together and celebrate the joy of reading. By engaging volunteers from our community, we create meaningful moments that encourage children and families to discover the power of books, build strong literacy skills and develop a lifelong love of learning,” said Brian Stanley, Advanced Learning Program Coordinator II for IALR.
More Photos from Family Literacy Night
