'Dia De Los Nino' At CWU

April 26, 2005

Contact: Cathrene Connery (509-963-1281/ fax: 963-1162/e-mail: conneryc@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The first "World Conference for the Well-being of Children" was held in Switzerland in 80 years ago this year. An outgrowth of that conference was the annual Mexican tradition of celebrating April 30 as "Dia de los Ninos" (Day of the Child).

That tradition has spread to the U.S., and will include the annual celebration this year at Central Washington University on Friday (April 30) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Black Hall on the Ellensburg campus.

The goals are to honor children and childhood, promote literacy - including bilingual and multilingual literacy - involve parents in the "literacy team" and encourage libraries to develop collections reflecting plurality.

The CWU activities will include storytelling, face painting, plays, hands-on craft projects, music, science experiments and a book fair, led by CWU faculty and students, WSU Master Gardeners, 4-H leaders and community members, who will also staff family resource booths. In addition, the Cle Elum-Roslyn Elementary School marimba ensemble and Yakima Tribal School students will make special presentations.

While the activities are generally designed for kindergarten through fifth graders, children of all ages are welcome. Every child will receive a ticket for a free book along with door prize drawings.

For information about the CWU event, sponsored by the CWU college of education and professional studies and education department, Ellensburg School District and Washington State University Extension, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation call (509) 963-1281, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.