Posted by Sudbury Northern Life
Cambrian College recently launched a new storytelling program geared towards future generations.
The space - The Nest - in which this and other similar programs will be delivered, is located in the Library and Learning Commons at the college, and is a circular, glass enclosure previously used as a display area.
The new storytelling program was initiated as a pilot project by the Wabnode Institute in the fall of 2008, and has been running once a month ever since. Elders in Wabnode tell stories to the children in the College's Play 'n Learn Day Care Centre. The pilot project has been so popular with the participating children, Wabnode is increasing its frequency to every second week.
"Through this program, Wabnode ... is providing the children with exposure to the Anishnaabe culture, stimulating their imaginations, and introducing them to a learning environment and the joy that can be derived from it," said Sonia Del Missier, vice-president, academic at Cambrian, in a release.
Storytelling is an important part of development and growth in the Native culture and in many others, a press release stated.
During the pilot phase of the children's storytelling project, it became clear how significant this role is. Watching the children, absorbed in the stories being told to them by an Elder, observers noted they resembled baby birds in a nest seeking nourishment. This is how the space came to be named The Nest.
