School Librarian in Action: Museo Pambata News: Launch of the Paglaki Ko, Gusto Ko Maging Kuwentista Room

Friday, August 5, 2016

Museo Pambata News: Launch of the Paglaki Ko, Gusto Ko Maging Kuwentista Room

Kuya Jay plays the flute to start us off in storytelling.

Last July 26, 2016, Museo Pambata launched a new exhibit room that completes and complements its literacy and creative development advocacy among children and the young at heart. The Paglaki Ko, Gusto Ko Maging Kuwentista Room was finally unveiled after a year of fundraising, grant seeking, designing the area and planning of activities for it to come alive. Thanks to the ever hopeful and persistent President of Museo Pambata, Nina Lim-Yuson, who did not give up on seeing this exhibit into existence. Her team of intrepid young dreamers followed through: Maricel "Mamu" Montero, Noreen "Tich" Parafina, Conrad Raquel and the rest of the Museo Pambata Museum Guides worked hard to make the room an accessible and attractive feature of the Paglaki Ko Room.

With the launch of the storytelling area, children will know the many uses of language and why books, have an interesting role in creative play and imagination. Writers write stories. Illustrators draw the visuals to shape the narrative into palpable possibilities that lead to the understanding of the stories. Storytellers open up avenues of exploring these two art forms further on. The cycle of creative production comes full circle and the promise of new creative pursuits begins.

Melay Ramirez Abad participates in the storytelling with gusto!

I am honored and humbled to be a part of the six storytellers featured in the exhibit. My work as a school librarian has extended beyond the four walls of the library and into places where more children can access, not just books and stories, but opportunities to dream, to wonder and to take flight. It takes a village to raise a child and greater determination to see them become creative and productive citizens of the world.