On Oct. 25, Santa Maria residents are invited to “Unlock the Mystery with Literacy” at the Central Coast Literacy Council’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. The event will take place at 6:25 p.m. at the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., and will feature a Mexican buffet, a no-host bar, and a mystery theater performance. Cost is $25 per person. For more information or event tickets, call 925-0951, Ext. 836
The literacy festivities will continue on Nov. 2, when the Central Coast Literacy Council and the Santa Maria Public Library present their Third Annual Literacy and Multicultural Festival, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Lavagnino Plaza in front of the Santa Maria Public Library and surrounding areas on East Cook and South McClelland Streets.
This year, the literacy council and the library staff are promoting their partnership as a way to help people who want to learn English and those who want to improve their reading and writing skills.
“Our main theme is about making things better, and one of the main ways people can start making things better is by educating themselves,” Santa Maria children’s librarian Jeni Newell told the Sun.
At the festival, library staffers and literacy council members will select winners of an essay contest. The contest this year centered on the award-winning book Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. Written by Claire A. Nivola, the book tells the story of the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement. After attending college in the United States, Maathai returned to her home country to find its land cleared, its rivers dry, and its people malnourished. Eventually, Maathai began a one-woman crusade to bring trees back to Kenya and, as a result, rebuild her devastated community.
“We want our students to see how … one person with a great idea can make things better,” Newell said.
The festival will also feature international music, entertainment, arts, food, and educational materials. As in past years, children and their parents are encouraged to wear costumes from different countries.
For more information about the Literacy and Multicultural Festival, contact the Santa Maria Children’s Library at 925-0994 or the Central Coast Literacy Council at 925-0951, Ext. 836.
School Scene is compiled by Staff Writer Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Oct 23-30, 2008.