Annual event brings city’s youngest residents to City Hall for a day of civic engagement

On Wednesday, April 25, children and teachers from childcare and preschool programs across the city will gather at Somerville’s City Hall for a day of celebration and civic engagement as part of the national 2018 “Week of the Young Child” celebration. Somerville’s youngest residents will be joined by local dignitaries and early education leaders from around the state, to celebrate young children and the critical role of early education in preparing our youngest learners for a lifetime of success. More than 200 preschoolers are expected to descend on City Hall next Wednesday morning for a special event that will include singing in multiple languages, touring various city hall offices to learn about city management, participating in a civic engagement activity, and being part of a proclamation reading by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.

Students have been researching and developing projects that demonstrate ways to make Somerville a kind and fair place for everyone, in response to a letter from Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone in which he asks for their input on how we can make Somerville “…a kind and fair place for everyone.” Students will present their projects to the Mayor at the April 25^th event, after which the children’s work will be on display at City Hall. Among the many projects that students have been working on are kindness quilts, class books about being kind and fair, public service announcements related to picking up trash, and more. As part of their planning and research, students read this year’s Social Story, Somerville: A Kind and Fair City, also available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole at: www.somerville.k12.ma.us/woyc.

“Children look forward to this event for weeks! When children engage with City Hall and meet the Mayor, they have an experience that impacts who they are as members of a community,” stated Somerville Public Schools Early Education Director, Dr. Lisa Kuh. “By writing to the children, the Mayor engages our youngest community members in a conversation about their place in the world and how to make it better for everyone. By engaging in inquiry-based, interesting curriculum, and thinking deeply with peers and teachers, children discover how learning contributes to society. This is how we build an engaged and inclusive community.”

Wednesday’s event at City Hall begins at 10:00 a.m. with music as Maura Mendoza, Language and Leadership Liaison for the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative, leads children in a multilingual medley of songs to set the tone for an active morning of learning and social justice. Somerville High School Career and Technical Education students from the early education program will be sharing their children’s “Bill of Rights”. Preschool students will again have an opportunity to take part in a special art project, courtesy of The Beautiful Stuff Project. Children will also be using Somerville vintage voting machines to cast their votes on the best ways to be kind and fair.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) designated a week in April, this year April 16-20, as the Week of the Young Child to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families. Communities all around the country will be celebrating young children throughout the week with a variety of special events.