Opportunity To Help Local Communications Program For Children

Well, our intrepid friends and neighbours are at it again! Here's your chance to help with Story Planet, a project that "inspires kids to develop their unique voice and to make it powerful using the written word, visual arts and digital media.

We offer great free workshops led by writers, artists and fantastic volunteers who help kids develop the skills and confidence to become fearless creative communicators. Our workshops take place in schools, community centres and, in the near future, our own space!"

Here's how you can help:
"STORY PLANET NEEDS YOU...
We need volunteers to help us deliver workshops NEXT WEEK at some nearby elementary schools (Hawthorne, Essex, Pauline). Workshops last about 2 hrs and run either in the morning or afternoon.

WHAT DOES A WORKSHOP VOLUNTEER DO?
As a workshop volunteer you arrive about 15 minutes before the workshop, meet the group (other volunteers, facilitator, writer and or artist), and then get to work with the class. The facilitator leads the group and when the kids break into groups to work on their writing, the volunteers help them out – encouraging them to express their ideas and words. We try to reach as close a one-one ratio as we can but with bigger workshops it’s closer to 1-8. The artist illustrates the story as the kids narrate it and then each kid writes their own ending. The story and illustrations are bound into a book and each child gets their own copy.

It would be great to have you come out and get involved in what we do. I will be at the workshop on Thursday.

THE LIST GOES ON...
As we grow at a crazy pace, we need more and more volunteers.

Volunteer opportunities include (but are not limited to):

• Workshop design and delivery (Essay boot camp for high school/college students? Alien inspired tabloid journalism?)
• After-school writing support for kids coming to the drop-in (opening in January 2012)
• Help running the storefront/café social enterprise that will fund our free programs (opening December 2011)
• Developing product ideas for our alien travel terminal store
• Fundraising and event planning
• Marketing/promotions

WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT?

• You get to be part of a very cool literacy program – the only one of its kind in Toronto
• You get to help kids become more confident writers and communicators
• You get to have fun
• You might get an awesome reference letter
• You might learn something about social enterprises, kids and words
• You might get community service hours or an internship, if you want one

We will be hosting a volunteer orientation on Tuesday, November 29 from 6:30-8:30pm - if you would like to register for that, email me at kate@storyplanet.ca."

Well, this is one that I can't resist! Hope to bump into you out volunteering.
Cheers,
Vanessa