First-ever SKYPE Visiting Author presentations with Colegio International Puerto la Cruz in Venezuela

First-ever SKYPE Visiting Author presentations with Colegio International Puerto la Cruz in Venezuela

by | Dec 30, 2019 | Society

On April 3 and 4, 2014 Cristina participated in her first-ever SKYPE “Visiting Author” presentations with Colegio International Puerto la Cruz in Venezuela (CIPLC).

On Thursday she shared two “Behind the Books” programs with 42, 1 and 2 – graders, and again with 40 students from grades 3 and 4 . She also enjoyed a Future Authors Lunch with 11 kids from grades 3 through 5 .

On Friday she shared her “Behind the Books” slide program with 34, 5 and 6 graders, and had lunch with 10 future authors from grades 6 – 8 . After lunch she led a writers’ workshop on “Using the Five Senses”, “Show Don’t Tell”, and “Be Specific” for 24, 7 and 8 grade students.

Overall, it was a very positive experience for both students and Cristina. Librarian Gwen Martin, who did a great job organizing the kids and hosting the program, wrote to say, “A parent just stopped me to say his son talked about you non-stop last night!” Cristina sends all the students her thanks for being such great audiences, with great questions about, and observations of her books.

For Cristina, the only drawback was no hugs! None of this would have been possible without Jennifer Nelson Saracevic, owner and director of Jennifer Nelson LLC. She was the technical wizard behind it all, running the Power Point program from Chicago for Cristina in the Virgin Islands and CIPLC in Venezuela. Thanks to her, all went very smoothly. Big thanks to Jennifer, and her colleague, Janet Wendland, who first proposed this visit.

When the six hours of presentations were completed, Cristina, who admits to being technologically challenged, told Jennifer and Gwen, “Well I guess you can teach old dog new tricks! It’s great to have a new skill.” Any schools interested in SKYPE visits, or live visits by Cristina should contact Jennifer Nelson at (www.jennifernelson.com).

Field biologist Fletcher Smith visited the Virgin Islands as the Celebrity Scientist with the UVI program EPSCoR

Field biologist Fletcher Smith visited the Virgin Islands as the Celebrity Scientist with the UVI program EPSCoR

by | Dec 30, 2019 | Hope is Here!, St. John

“I wanted the students to meet a scientist who loves what he does, who is really excited about his job,” said Kessler. “Maybe it will inspire some of them to want to be scientists themselves.”

The week of March 14 – 20, 2016 was a busy one for field biologist Fletcher Smith. Fletcher visited the Virgin Islands as the Celebrity Scientist with the UVI program EPSCoR. It took almost two years for me to arrange this visit, but the wait was well-worth it. We visited 7 schools on 3 islands in 5 days. There were also bird walks on St. John and St. Croix, plus an evening presentation for adults on those two islands.

Fletcher presented to over 750 students, and it was truly a success. The reason I proposed this program to EPSCoR is because I thought it would be good for the kids to hear about the life of a true scientist who spends 80% of his time in the field. He’s traveled from the Arctic in NW Canada, to St. Croix, just tracking Hope the Whimbrel, the star of my book HOPE IS HERE!

It was very obvious by the quality and quantity of questions from the students that they were fully engaged in Fletcher’s presentation. His show included slides, videos, maps and a few graphs. Some kids even stayed after the class to ask individual questions. I would say that there are many budding scientists on the three islands as a direct result of hearing and seeing what an interesting and important contribution Fletcher’s field work makes.

I sincerely thank Fletcher for his hard work in making so many presentations and know for sure that he was an inspiration to the kids. And a big thanks to St. John Rotary and the Audubon Society of St. John that generously presented Fletcher with honorarium checks. Having community support like this is great, so thanks again to the Audubon Society on St. John, St. John Rotary and EPSCoR.

Learn more about Fletcher’s visit on this featured article in the St. John Source.

Excerpt from the article:

This month Fletcher Smith, an ornithologist working out of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, visited schools across the V.I. to talk to students about what he and his research team have learned while tracking Hope and other whimbrels. On Monday and Tuesday, Smith visited St. John, where he spoke with students at Gifft Hill and Julius E. Sprauve Schools.

Smith was accompanied by award-winning children’s author and St. John resident Cristina Kessler, who published a book about Hope in 2013. The two also visited schools on St. Thomas and St. Croix.

Gifft Hill School Students listening to a presentation from Fletcher Smith.
Fletcher Smith talking to students after his presentation at Julius E. Sprauve School.
EPSCoR has embraced HOPE IS HERE!

EPSCoR has embraced HOPE IS HERE!

by | Dec 29, 2019 | Hope is Here!, Society

It is exciting to announce that EPSCoR has embraced HOPE IS HERE! by placing a large order to share with local kids.

According to Assistant Director, Nicholas Drayton, “The Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR) is a Territorial
program, whose aim is to build the Territory’s scientific capacity by improving our strengths in marine and environmental research, policy and decisionmaking, education and outreach, in order to more effectively address issues of vital importance to a healthy and sustainable future for the Virgin Islands.

We are impressed with the publication “Hope is Here!”. It is expertly crafted, and will contribute significantly to the accomplishment of some of our program’s
goals, especially with regard to the elementary school student sub-group. We have bought 500 copies for free distribution to students of elementary school age, as a motivator to stimulate their interest in science and the environment. This book will be distributed across the Territory at various local events throughout the year.”

Thanks EPSCoR for supporting my new book, and encouraging kids in the VI to get out and enjoy nature and become birdwatchers! I hope they all enjoy this
book that I like to call “science with a heart!

Encouraging kids in Zambia to read with The Lubuto Library Partners

Encouraging kids in Zambia to read with The Lubuto Library Partners

by | Dec 14, 2019 | Africa, My Great-Grandmother's Gourd

Thanks to my friend and retired librarian, Betty Story, my books will now be read by kids in Zambia through the wonderful Lubuto Library Partners (www.lubuto.org). I hope that my stories will encourage kids to follow their dreams, and know that with determination and hard work anything is possible. Thanks Betty and the Lubuto Library Partners.

Message from Lubuto’s President to Cristina Kessler

Dear Cristina,

Thank you for your generous contribution to the e orts of Lubuto Library Partners. With Lubuto your support is more than a single project or a quick fix: you are building a whole world of opportunity and imagination for each of the children-especially the most vulnerable-who we reach every day in Zambia.

We are grateful for your recent donation of My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd, and we also appreciate that you took the time to sign all 24 books donated by Betty Story. The children of Lubuto libraries will greatly appreciate the personalized messages. The books will all be cataloged and used at our libraries in Zambia.

It was truly a pleasure to meet you when you were visiting Washington, D.C -and to learn more about your background and what informed your wonderful books. All of the donated books will make great additions to our libraries. Their messages-particularly those pertaining to empowering girls-are universal, and will thus provide compelling stories to children and youth at our libraries in Zambia.

Our broad approach has made Lubuto a model of what public libraries can contribute to African countries. As one visitor observed, Lubuto libraries are “expanding a world view, giving children a space to imagine, to be themselves, to explore worlds not seen before.” Your donated and inscribed books will directly transform lives; ignite imaginations and build a brighter Africa.

Jane Kinney Meyers

President

Cristina Kessler’s My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd on A Season’s Griot 2013 WHQR Storytelling by Joyce Grear

Cristina Kessler’s My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd on A Season’s Griot 2013 WHQR Storytelling by Joyce Grear

by | Dec 14, 2019 | Africa, Culture, My Great-Grandmother's Gourd, Society

I am very proud and honored that My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd was featured on A Season’s Griot, a one-hour storytelling show honoring the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa, focusing on the theme of families, fatherhood and community, and aired on WHQR 91.3 FM. Thank you Madafo Lloyd Wilson for choosing my book, and thank you Joyce Grear for a beautiful reading.

Excerpt from the article “Only Kwanzaa public radio program in the U.S. continues its tradition after 20 years” by Amanda Greene on December 26, 2013:

It was mid-October, but the two storytellers were planning for Kwanzaa in late December.

Wilmington storyteller Joyce Grear (http://joycegrear.com/) and Madafo Lloyd Wilson (http://www.madafo.com/), longtime storyteller and host of “A Season’s Griot,” (http://whqr.org/post/seasons-griot-2013) were dickering over which story she should read this year. They sat in the wide, barren conference room between radio studios at WHQR Public Radio where “A Season’s Griot” has been produced for more than two decades as the only nationally syndicated Kwanzaa radio show in the country.

Storytellers Madafo Lloyd Wilson and Joyce Grear prepare to record a story for “A Season’s Griot,” a Kwanzaa program on Public Radio International.

Photo by: Amanda Greene

One was a Japanese tale; the other was a version of an Aesop’s fable about the baobab tree. The baobab tree won.

“Ahh, this is great,” Wilson said after finishing his reading, tapping the book with his finger. “This is the story.”

“How did you come to that,” Grear asked.

“The tree, the image of the tree, the little girl helping the elder,” he said. “This is what the show’s about.”

This year’s one-hour storytelling show honoring the African-American holiday Kwanzaa features the theme of fatherhood and airs on WHQR 91.3 FM at noon Thursday (Dec. 26) on the first day of Kwanzaa and will re-air at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 on WHQR. Kwanzaa is celebrated from Thursday (Dec. 26)- Jan. 1.

– See more at: http://wilmingtonfavs.com/2013/12/26/kwanzaa-public-radio-program-u-s-continues-tradition-20-years/#sthash.PgRky8vW.dpuf