NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

MSI Toddlers, Preschoolers learn how to go green I magine an afternoon of theater and rich literature when the entertainment begins well before the first curtain call and lasts well beyond the final encore. Thanks to the successful Family Fun Series, a partner- ship between the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, children’s theater in Broward County has been staged in a whole new light. The Family Fun Series was a seasonal sequence of live theater performances from November 2007 to May 2008. The plays, based on treasured children’s stories such as The Hungry Caterpillar , The Ugly Duckling , and Hansel and Gretel , offered theater goers of all ages the ability to read the books behind the plays. Visitors to the Alvin Sherman Library Web site were able to click on the intended performance to view a list of children’s books that coincided with the various plays featured at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Parker Playhouse, and NSU’s Rose and Alfred Miniaci Perform- ing Arts Center. Addition- ally, there are book offerings about the subjects, authors, and playwrights. The inaugural season has been a success among parents and children, and the ongoing partnership will continue to provide more selections for seasons to come. Visit the Web site at www .nova.edu/library/familyfun for more information on book selections. A new season is planned for fall 2008. ■ Alvin Sherman Library Takes to the Stage 9 horizons A t the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies (MSI), a goal for children as young as age four is to appreciate the environment. The center promotes this every morning by encour- aging preschoolers to bring in items from home to learn to separate and recycle them. It is something parents say children can practice at home, while educators say it is a learning tool that empowers children to be responsible for the planet. This curriculum component is so unique among preschools that it captured local media attention. MSI was the subject of a recent WSVN Channel 7 news segment that demonstrated how the center has integrated nature, science, and green principles into its curriculum for preschoolers. The result is that kids are learning some savvy “green” tips and putting them into practice in their communities. “It illustrates to children at a young age how sensitive the earth is and what they can do to conserve the resources of our planet,” said Roni Leiderman, Ph.D., dean of MSI. “By learning good habits early on, pre- schoolers will build a lifelong love of the planet that will carry on well into adulthood.” To view the news segment, visit www.wsvn.com , click on “Features,” and select the segment titled “Going Green Early.” ■