A year of virtual learning has certainly altered the way Turning the Page offers support to our families in DC’s Wards 7 & 8 and Chicago’s North Lawndale. Although we have not been able to connect with families in person for some time, we have found many creative ways to engage parents and students remotely through virtual Family Room Events. Since April of 2020, TTP has hosted 27 Family Room events, with several more on the horizon for the remainder of the school year. While the COVID-19 safety restrictions have limited our programming, the virtual world has opened up endless opportunities for our families to engage with partners around the world. Check out what some of our favorite partners have been doing since their visit with Turning the Page!
The Lincoln Park Zoo
Back when TTP took a virtual field trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo on October 21, it had been a long time since the animals had seen some friendly faces! During our field trip, Lincoln Park Zoo educators Emma Martel and Jaeda Branch guided us through a behind the scenes look at the cichlids, an aardvark, and giraffes, while the Zoo remained closed to the public. Fortunately, the Lincoln Park Zoo has since reopened and is taking visitors with reservations and enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols. As always, the zoo remains free for families to visit.
Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann
Our favorite author and illustrator duo, Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann, have been a vital part of our Family Room success, having hosted a total of four writing and illustrating workshops for our families. In their interactive events, Candace and Eric guided us through the process of creating a book and continuously inspired families to tell their own stories through written word and illustration. The two seem to be very active since our last workshop with them in February. According to Candace’s Instagram, the author has kept busy by meeting virtually with students across the country. She has also shared that she’s been hard at work writing a new, Young Adult nonfiction novel. We are excited to see what the two accomplish in the future!
Learning Undefeated
Back in November, Devon Taylor, a Research Scientist with Learning Undefeated, joined TTP in the family room to share about their career in STEM and lead us through a fun at-home science experiment! Since our event with Learning Undefeated, the organization has been aiding the D.C. community in the fight against COVID-19. Starting in February, Learning Undefeated provided their mobile Drop Anywhere Labs to host COVID-19 vaccination distribution, as a part of the new Faith in the Vaccine program. Since the pilot program, The Drop Anywhere Labs have been safely vaccinating D.C.’s most vulnerable populations.
Planet Word
We started out the new year by hosting a virtual field trip to D.C. Museum, Planet Word; the world’s first voice-activated museum that brings words and language to life. Caitlin Miller led our families through some fun language activities and games while telling plenty of silly jokes along the way! At the time we hosted our event with Planet Word, the museum had yet to open its doors to the public. Today, Planet Word is officially open for visiting with timed entry and social distancing measures in place. We cannot wait to bring TTP families to explore the museum in person one day!
What’s Next for The Family Room?
As vaccines continue to get distributed, we have hope that Turning the Page will be reunited with families in person soon. Until then, we are excited to continue to engage families virtually with the help of our incredible partners! Coming up in the Family Room this Spring, We will be hosting an author visit with teen authors from 826CHI, a non-profit creative writing, tutoring, and publishing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth. We will also be taking a virtual field trip to the National Air and Space Museum in D.C.! Learn more about our events and stay up to date with TTP by following us on Facebook.
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