ECLC families travel ’round the world at South Mountain Y

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Local families were able to take a trip around the globe without ever leaving New Jersey, thanks to the eighth annual World Festival at the South Mountain YMCA on Parker Avenue in Maplewood on Saturday, Jan. 30.
The event, held in South Mountain’s Early Childhood Learning Center, is designed to celebrate the many countries and cultures of the world, and promote a global view to students.

“The event was created eight years ago to pull the community together,” Assistant Director of the Early Childhood Learning Center Jennifer MacAfee said in a recent phone interview with the News-Record. “We were looking for a winter event to bring everyone together after winter holidays, when schedules are much busier.”

The Early Childhood Learning Center begins the event each year by decorating their classrooms to reflect the theme of a country chosen by the students, and then throughout the month the teachers enhance their curriculum with information and class projects regarding the country. The last weekend of the month, the students are given a tour of all participating classrooms, before inviting family and friends to take part in the festivities.

The event was created to involve not only the children and their parents, but also extended family and community members who are able to come and see the fruits of the labor.

This year’s countries included Haiti, Egypt, Malta, Canada, Mexico and Thailand, with each room decorated by student art projects, colorful displays and informational signs.

“Every year it has gotten a little better,” MacAfee said. “The classes choose a country and then pretty much go full force with it through the month of January. “The World Tour on Friday is when the six classes of preschool children go from room to room and ‘travel’ with a teacher who will tell them about each country, including famous landmarks, native animals and popular food dishes, and they might even try a food during the tour.”

Saturday’s event, the World Festival, is the parents’ opportunity to shine, as they provide all the food for the event and oversee the festivities in the program center. This year’s event also featured a performance by Janine Williams, who did a Brazilian dance workshop with attendees.

The goal of involving the entire community is intrinsic to the success of the event, and for the Early Childhood Learning Center, this is a hands-on task.

“People say they like the sense of community, and the fact that everyone, from the teachers to the grandparents, can be involved,” ECLC Senior Director Krys Jensen said in a recent phone interview with the News-Record. “It brings us all together, and the event is not something where the Y runs it and people come. The whole community comes together to make the event happen.”

Jensen said she hopes every child who participates in the event will walk away with a better understanding or a deeper curiosity about the world.

“The classroom environment is set up so the children can be immersed in the country (they study),” she said. “They might even learn a few words in that language, and they get a chance to visit the presentations given by teachers from other classrooms.

“The parents organize with food, set up and cleanup and spread the word, all the food is donated by parents of children in the center. And it’s definitely an event that spans the whole center.”