With the end of fall tutoring, It Takes a Village Project celebrated the semester by hosting a Book Bash for community members. With free books, crafts, and community resources, the event left families with access to materials and connections to support students learning beyond the classroom.
After another successful fall semester of after-school tutoring, the It Takes a Village Project wrapped up the year with its biannual Book Bash celebration. With invitations extended to students, families, volunteers, and friends of the organization, Oaks 212 quickly filled with energy and excitement.
Forty-five Elon volunteers registered to support the event as a final farewell to their students. Stationed throughout the space, volunteers led craft activities and distributed materials to families. Along one wall, volunteers oversaw a large selection of free books, generously provided by Scholastic, that students could browse and take home. Across the room, others operated the photo booth station, which featured a balloon backdrop and winter-themed props for families to enjoy. As volunteers helped run the event, many reflected on their semester with the Village.
“I loved getting to know all the kids at the Village and getting to see their faces each week,” shared volunteer Leah Alberga, a member of one of the Village’s Elon partner classes. Her classmate, Barbara Vallejo, echoed the sentiment: “I love the community aspect, I love getting to know the kids and parents. It’s just a really great community.”
This year’s celebration also included a Community Resource Fair featuring six local partner organizations: Valores, CrossRoads, Alamance County Public Libraries, New Arrivals Institute, Strong Minds UNCG and the Alamance Partnership for Children. In addition, three students from one of the Village’s Elon class partners, “ENG 3060: TESOL Theory and Practice,” hosted a booth where children colored bilingual bookmarks. As families moved through the room, they could participate in a bingo activity by visiting each partner table, learning about their services, and receiving a stamp. Completed cards could then be exchanged for a candy bar on their way out.
The Book Bash serves as a powerful demonstration of what it means to be part of a village. The collaboration among community partners, the service of dedicated volunteers, and the enthusiastic participation of families all embodied the Village mission: coming together to support Alamance-Burlington students.
While the Book Bash marks the end of the fall semester, the work of uplifting ABSS students continues. Spring tutoring and additional programming will carry the Village mission forward into the new year.