After school programs to inspire children & youth

Our after school program Club de Niños started September by reading “The Day the Crayons Quit”, by Olivier Jeffers that included a story about a very neat purple crayon that didn’t like being used to color outside the lines. September 8^th was International Literacy Day which we celebrated by bringing boxes of books to the Mother’s Park in Puerto Lopez for "Stories in the Park," giving access to books, promoting literacy and cultivating a love for reading. Volunteers Trish, Bonnie , Ed and Laura read with the local youth.

Our after school program, Club de Niños, started in September by reading “The Day the Crayons Quit”,  by Olivier Jeffers that included a story about a very neat purple crayon that didn’t like being used to color outside the lines. September 8th was International Literacy Day which we celebrated by bringing boxes of books to the Mother’s Park in Puerto Lopez for "Stories in the Park” thereby giving access to books, promoting literacy and cultivating a love for reading. Volunteers Trish, Bonnie, Ed and Laura read with the local youth.

During the month we also read “Yellow Bird”,  by Olga de Dios-the story of a flightless bird that invents a flying device that he shares with other animals, so they too can fly. After the reading we were assisted by Andrea from Italy in making “flying devices” that included paper airplanes (see the link to a video). We launched them with much enthusiasm. We also used a craft to illustrate the importance of diversity as symbolized by a rainbow.

In early October we read “Igor, the bird that couldn't sing"  by Satoski Kitamura. The children were taught by a visiting group of musicians how to make their own music by using rhythm and slapping their chests.

The children also made a short-animated film about the life of local fishermen assisted by two film makers, Julia and Charles from France.

Clara Luna visited Casa Búho, the neighboring community of Machililla children's project, with a puppet show of "Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler during their Halloween/ Day of the Dead celebration. We also had a Halloween party where we made toilet paper mummies.

In November we participated in the First Festival of Kites in Puerto Lopez that was organized by Quentin, a friend of Clara Luna (see link below for a video).  For two days prior to the event we assembled recycled plastic bags and wooden sticks into kites of all sizes, shapes and colors. We met on the beach where there was a steady wind and we flew the kites until dark.

On the last Friday of the month we held our "Once upon a Time" -an event where the children become the storytellers and parents assist as the page turners.

The children were joyously engaged in all activities during this busy time.