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Spring Institute for Youth Services 2024 Special EventsWednesday Welcome ReceptionWednesday, March 6, 2024 Are you arriving in Muskegon on Wednesday night? Take a short stroll over to the beautiful Hackley Public Library for a welcome reception from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Explore the historic space, network with colleagues, and have some fun! Light refreshments will be provided. Hackley Public Library is located only 2 blocks (0.2 miles) from the convention center. No transportation is provided, but you may drive and park at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church next to the library if you don’t want to walk. Field Trip to StoryvilleThursday, March 7, 2024 Following the afternoon keynote on Thursday, hop on the SI Neighborhood Trolley for a quick field trip to two branches of the Muskegon Area District Library to explore their Storyvilles. Storyvilles are early literacy, child-sized villages where children ages 0-5 and their caregivers can let their imaginations run wild! Each village helps children have fun while preparing for kindergarten by focusing on playing, reading, singing, talking, and writing. Enjoy reading on the front porch in the Muskegon Heights Branch Neighborhood Storyville and explore the Hines Baby Garden at Olthoff Bay at the Norton Shores Branch. View Storyville flyer (PDF) Trivia with Matt EickhoffFriday, March 8, 2024 Friday’s lunch will feature some friendly competition with a table versus table interactive trivia challenge hosted by Matt Eickhoff of Here’s Your Host Trivia. Spring Institute Gives BackThis year Spring Institute has decided to partner with Kids Food Basket. This West Michigan organization provides healthy meals to thousands of children every week. A representative of Kids Food Basket will join us on Thursday to discuss the work of the organization. We will be decorating bags for the meals and assembling sack supper packs on Friday before delivering them to their headquarters. Interested in helping? Here’s how:
Kids Food Basket Sack Supper PackingFriday, March 8, 2024 For thousands of children in West Michigan, a Sack Supper ensures they have increased access to healthy food each day! We can help Kids Food Basket supply the contents of these meals by creating Supper Packs of the shelf stable items that go in each pack. Get a chance to spend time and network with other Spring Institute attendees while assembling these packs. MLA will supply the content, and will deliver the sacks to the Kids Food Basket office following this “session”. Kids Food Basket volunteers will add a fresh vegetable and fruit in a decorated bag to turn the Supper Pack into a Sack Supper that is ready to be delivered to a child’s school! T-Shirt FundraiserShow your SI pride by buying an event T-shirt at registration. Proceeds from the sale will be used to help buy supplies for Kids Food Basket sack supper packs that we will be assembling and donating to the organization on Friday. Shirts will be available for pick-up at the registration desk. The last day to order shirts is February 2, 2024. If you have already registered for the conference, but would like to purchase a t-shirt, please contact us at [email protected] or (517) 394-2774. Share FairThursday, March 7, 2024 Friday, March 8, 2024 Visit the exhibit hall to see the projects and ideas your colleagues have chosen to share! Posters on display will include: TAG your Teens In! Better Together: The Public Library & the Nature Center Boom Boom Revolution Books for Babies! It's a Beautiful Day for Dramatic Play New Ways Manistee County Library Created Community Collabs Brilliant Braille Wear a Cardigan on FridayMr. Rogers loved a quality cardigan and so do we! Wear your favorite and most beautiful cardigan sweater on Friday to show your love of Spring Institute and this library wardrobe staple. |