Festival of Tales at Paradise Valley Community College

By Oshea Chaudhary, December 2011
Staff Writer

On Dec. 3rd, the Art of Storytelling classes will host the family friendly event, Festival of Tales at Paradise Valley Community College’s KSC building.

The community event welcomes PVCC students and club members, community members and children from 10 a.m.to1 p.m.to experience the magic of storytelling. Admission is free and children will go home with free books.

Meggin Kirk, adjunct faculty and event coordinator for the Festival of Tales, began the event to promote literacy and to provide students who volunteer an authentic learning opportunity. So far, the event has been held for three consecutive semesters.

“It was basically the first semester that I taught the storytelling class that I was trying to think of a way to showcase what we’ve been working so…on, and I just came up with the idea to have a storytelling festival,” says Kirk.      
     
According to Jon Baez, former volunteer to the event, Festival of Tales tries to spread the gift of creativity and storytelling by passing the tales along verbally and by giving the children books so that they may be able to share them with others.

Students and children can also except to experience diversity through different arts and crafts with related story ideas, folk stories read by PVCC students, literacy related games, such as a book walk. They can also enjoy special guests and the ASU African Drum Ensemble.

The books are to be donated through partnerships of Southwest Human Development, Reading is Fundamental and Macy’s. The event is also sponsored by Club Ed and PVCC’s Student Life and Leadership.   

“To have such a nationally known company, (Macy’s), help in such a way as that is just mind boggling,” says Baez.

According to Baez, the event has volunteers from all education and art of storytelling classes, student clubs and organizations and faculty and more students and clubs are encouraged to help at the event.

“I think that this event’s highlights will be to see the…camaraderie of families, to feel the sense of community (which) will be a huge sense of accomplishment,” says Kirk.