The Reading Ambassadors Program met for its second session on May 27th and, once more, the evening was filled with warmth, laughter, and connection. This meeting was hosted by the WEC FACES team and continued to reinforce our mission: to create a welcoming community space where families and children come together through the joy of reading. After sharing company over storytelling, activities, and refreshments, families left with their own book and handmade puppet to further build on this shared experience at home.
The sense of community was unmistakable, with families sitting around a shared table and engaging fully with the activities and with each other. We were thrilled to see a mix of familiar and new faces taking part in the gathering. This month’s reader was the father of a proud son who brought the story to life with vibrant action and enthusiasm. When his son noticed him preparing to read, he lit up and exclaimed in wonder, “My dad’s reading!”. Their affectionate glance said it all: this was more than a reading session; it was a cherished memory in the making.
As usually planned, the reading was followed by a themed activity connected directly to the story, giving families a chance to be creative together. Children cut and glued illustrations of a plant’s life cycle, visualizing the growth from a seed sprouting into a plant, flowering and providing more seeds. Following this, students learned about the basic needs for plants to grow, utilizing their visual and tactile skills to learn how to care after their own plant kit. They went home with their own seed and jar, to plant and observe the very changes they learned about at the session. We wrapped up the evening with a delicious dinner, and to the delight of the children, a sweet ice cream treat. Even navigating such tasks as ordering food turned into a positive moment. One of the store employees recognized a family from the group and eagerly chimed in, reminding us once again of the power of community. Children were engaged, parents were proud, and the atmosphere was filled with joy.
Moments like these reinforce why we’re here– to emphasize how reading is central to academic, social, and emotional growth. The FACES Team coordinates monthly to create a space for families to spend quality time with their children while sharing effective reading strategies to develop literacy skills. Each session is more than reading: it is about building trust, joy, and lasting relationships. We can’t wait to see what stories will unfold at our next gathering.
