Press release from Dancing Bear Toys:
Calling all young superheroes! Dancing Bear Toys and Spellbound Children’s Bookshop are hosting a free, year-long social justice training program for kids ages 5 to 10.
“The goal is to get kids and parents talking about the issues that affect our community,” said Jordan Castelloe, manager at Dancing Bear Toys. “We want to give kids the tools to address injustice wherever they see it.”
Each month will focus on a social justice theme. Themes range from confronting systemic racism in April to protecting natural recourses in October. Businesses will partner with nonprofits and representatives to host an interactive workshop on each theme. At the end of the workshop, kids will be assigned “superhero homework” to turn in at the end of the month. Every child who turns in their superhero homework will receive a free prize from a different local business.
“We know these are tough concepts,” said Marylee Sumeriski, marketing coordinator at Dancing Bear. “A lot of parents aren’t sure how to talk to their kids about current events. That’s why we’re going with the superhero theme. We want to make this as fun and engaging as possible.”
Kids are encouraged to come to the workshops in superhero outfits. Each workshop will feature a brief presentation from a local nonprofit and an interactive activity. For a complete schedule visit www.dancingbeartoys.com.
Workshops will be hosted by Dancing Bear Toys, Spellbound Children’s Bookshop, Malaprops Bookstore and Cafe, and Blue Ridge Taekwondo. Participating nonprofits include the YWCA, Mountain True, Girls on the Run, and RiverLink. Sponsoring businesses include Ultimate Ice Cream, Neo Burrito, The Hop, and more!
Dancing Bear Toys is a family-owned specialty toy store with locations in Asheville and Henderosnville.Spellbound Children’s Bookshop is an independent bookshop specializing in books for babies, kids, and teens.
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