Throughout different points of the semester, students within Asbury’s School of Education are making it their goal to impact local communities with the skills they’ve learned through classes within the department. The culmination of these efforts has been “Kinlaw Story Hour,” an event targeted at helping families and children around Wilmore and Jessamine County to read and get involved with stories while also having some fun.
Brittany Worthen, Associate Professor in the School of Education and the head of Story Hour, discussed the origins and reasoning behind the event. “I did not originally start Story Hour, a former employee did,” she said. Worthen continued, “When Covid hit Asbury, Story Hour was postponed and eventually it fell dormant. Once things returned to normal after Covid, and with my daughter being a toddler at the time, I deeply valued the idea of having a local story time here in the Wilmore community, and decided to bring the event back myself.”
Worthen has since partnered with Jessamine County Public Library for help with the event, as well as to show unity among the Library and Asbury. The event is held around eight times in the fall and six times in the Spring. It takes place in the King Curriculum Lab on the first floor of Kinlaw Library on select Thursdays at 11 a.m. Story Hour is also tied in with one of Worthen’s own courses in the Education department, Teaching of Reading. “I felt this tie-in with the course would provide students with a great opportunity to engage in early literacy concepts and skills while also creating and fostering community relationships with families who attend Story Hour,” she said.
Each event has a select book or theme that it’s based around, with the goal being to boost engagement among those who attend. The event also holds read-alongs, sing-alongs or arts and crafts activities to further engage kids with the event.
The event is also funded by an external donor, with the help of the School of Education. “The School of Education has graciously supported my efforts and vision with Story Hour,” Worthen said. “I am incredibly grateful to our yearly donor and to my colleagues who help out with the event. Without all of the support, Story Hour would be way more difficult to produce.” Worthen continued by stating her gratitude to her students as well. “During the fall semester, my students plan spectacular Story Hour times,” she stated. “I am always so blown away with their creative ideas that engage and inspire children.”
Worthen also showed hope and promise with the event. “My hope is that every child leaves Story Hour feeling inspired, curious and loved,” she said. “Beyond the stories themselves, our goal is to cultivate belonging, kindness and imagination. We want families to see reading as a shared adventure that brings people together in a fun and creative way.”
If students are interested in the event or want to learn more, they can contact Professor Worthen at brittany.worthen@asbury.edu. If students or community members with children are interested in checking out the event for themselves, the next Story Hour will be held in the King Curriculum Lab in the downstairs of Kinlaw Library on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 11 a.m.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
