Springfield College Students Will Present Carnival for City Children and Their Families Tomorrow
April 9, 2010SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 9, 2010 – Local children and their families from Square One children’s centers will join Springfield College students for a day of carnival fun and informational activities about healthy living on Saturday, April 10, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Blake Track on the college campus.
Family/child play will include sack races, a water balloon toss, bubble blowing, toothbrush decorating and more. There will be face painting and a bounce house. The Springfield College Intramural Office has loaned balls and other sports equipment for children to try. At a story corner, college students will read children’s books aloud. The Cat in the Hat, from the Dr. Seuss Museum, will entertain. There will be information for families on health, nutrition, physical fitness and literacy.
The event is the work of 25 first-year students in Springfield College’s Emerging Leaders Program. The students were chosen for the one-year program because of their aptitude and interest in developing leadership knowledge and skills. They live in Gulick Hall on the campus participating in special training and exercises to prepare for future leadership roles on the campus, in the larger community, in their careers, and in their personal lives.
Participating children and families will be from the Square One centers, home-based childcare, before-and-after-school programs, and parent education programs. Square One operates four centers in Springfield and one in Holyoke.
According to Springfield College Director of Student Volunteer Programs Charlene Elvers, “Our students developed this day of fun and family time after hearing from Square One that many of the families that it serves would enjoy an opportunity to take time away from their customary routines to have an enjoyable and healthy respite together.”
Elvers estimates that about 250 participants from Square One will attend.
