Space travellers, we had to make a few changes to our programming for the upcoming week so, if you’ve signed up to join us, please read the following posts carefully. Also, note that Homework Club is CANCELLED this week for March Break. See you soon!

March Break Vacation into Space Workshop

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our March Break Camp (we apologize for any inconvenience!), but we’ll be hosting “Vacation in to Space” drop-in workshops in its place for kids aged 6-12 this Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 from 10am-12pm.

Venture into another galaxy and return to Earth with amazing souvenirs, posters and gifts from your intergalactic adventures!

We’ll provide snacks and supplies. A minimum donation of $5 is suggested to help support Story Planet programming.

Call 416-645-1049 or email Michelle at volunteer@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca for more information or to sign up.

Afterlight Book Club

This Tuesday’s Afterlight Book Club meeting has been pushed to next Tuesday (March 24). We apologize for any inconvenience.

This time, we will be discussing The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson — a book that is every bit as good as the title is long!

RSVP to the Meetup event page for more information and updates. The cost of admission is pay-what-you-can. Feel free to bring a friend and please contact us on the Meetup event page if you have any dietary restrictions we should be aware of.

Happy reading!

Sex-Ed Workshop for Parents of Teens

Join certified Sexual Health Educator, Sonya JF Barnett on March 29 at 10 am for a 3-hour workshop on how to talk to your teen about sex. Learn how to discuss openly and comfortably about topics such as: basic biology, puberty, safe sex, online relationships, consent and more.

The cost for this event is $25. For more information and to register, visit sjfbarnett.com.

NOT LOST Grief Workshop

NOT LOST is a FREE 10-week creative writing workshop for youth living with grief caused by the loss of a loved one. This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to share, grieve, and create.

NOT LOST welcomes youth aged 18-28.

Registration closes Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Classes start Sunday, April 19, 2015.

Space is limited. Please email notlostworkshop@gmail.com for more information or to register.

Podcasting 101

Hitch a ride with Story Planet as we explore the brave new frontier of podcasting! In this program starting Monday, March 23, youth in grades 7-12 will join our production team to write, edit and record a brand new podcast series starring and produced by them! Through a variety of hands-on workshops, our students will learn podcast production skills including: field recording, writing for the spoken word, interviewing techniques, and audio editing with Pro Tools.

Over the course of this workshop, students will write and broadcast two new podcasts for Story Planet.

For more information, contact us at info@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca!

We’ve got a lot of really exciting announcements to make this week! Between the success of our recent Under the Portal event and our upcoming Afterlight Book Club meeting and Podcasting 101 workshop, there’s never been a better time to join our team. If you’re a graphic designer who’d like to help us create a graphic story for a pitch we’re putting together for potential donors or just someone who wants to become a part of our awesome crew, give us a shout at volunteer@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca!

Afterlight Book Club

This month, on March 17, our Afterlight Book Club will be discussing The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, a book that’s about exactly what you think it is.

RSVP to the Meetup event for updates and more information. The cost of admission is pay-what-you-can. Feel free to bring a friend and contact us on the Meetup event page if you have any dietary restrictions we should be aware of.

Happy reading!

Second last week of Story Club

Over the last few weeks, our Story Club students have been swapping stories with their pen pals at 826NYC about their respective cities while working together to publish a duel-city travel guide: The Young Astronaut’s Guide to Toronto/The Young Superhero’s Guide to New York. This Thursday was the second last day of the workshop, so our students were hard at work finishing their stories and drawings for their part of the travel guide and responding to their friends across the border. We can’t wait to see the final product!

Podcasting 101

Hitch a ride with Story Planet as we explore the brave new frontier of podcasting! In this program starting Monday, March 23, youth in grades 7-12 will join our production team to write, edit and record a brand new podcast series starring and produced by them! Through a variety of hands-on workshops, our students will learn podcast production skills including: field recording, writing for the spoken word, interviewing techniques, and audio editing with Pro Tools. Over the course of this workshop, students will write and broadcast two new podcasts for Story Planet.

For more information, contact us at info@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca!

Under the Portal

A few weeks ago, we hosted a fundraising event ~under the portal~ at The Intergalactic Travel Authority with a musical performance by Gavin Gardiner and Edwin Huizinga from The Wooden Sky, readings from Pasha Malla and Marianne Apostolides and beer from Double Trouble Brewing. Everybody had a great time and, as it turned out, we even had an astrophysicist in the crowd able to answer our burning questions about the Voyager mission! What a blast!

Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event. The money we raised through ticket sales will go a long way in funding literacy programs like Story Club.

If you missed this event, keep checking back. We’ll let you know when we’re hosting another Under the Portal event!

As many of you know, we are revamping the Intergalactic Travel Authority to make it as cool as it can be. We want to make our space a truly galactic destination that’ll draw travellers from all over the universe and inspire them to tell their friends about it, too.

We’re are currently meeting with art designers and set decorators to fine-tune the look and feel of the space and planning a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the changes. We have some awesome people helping (thank you if you are one of them!) and, if you’d like to lend a hand, here are the areas we could use some help with:

• Visual space and an immersive environment including use of video and audio
• Retail business and sales
• Coffee shop business and sales
• Events and space rentals
• Communications

Thank you to everyone who’s been so helpful so far in this process!

Under the Portal Fundraising Event

We’re hosting a fundraiser at Story Planet on Feb 26 with readings, live music by Gavin Gardiner and Edwin Huizinga from The Wooden Sky, wine and beer from Double Trouble Brewing.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. You can purchase tickets in store or online at storyplanet.ca starting Tuesday, February 10 at 10am.

All proceeds from this event will go toward funding Story Planet’s unique writing and arts programming for kids and teens.

This is a licensed event.

Looking for Baristas to Work in Our Coffee Shop

We’re looking for people who’d like to volunteer as baristas at the Intergalactic Travel Authority. You’ll have fun, get to see how Story Planet works and learn a new life skill!

Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience. We’ll train you! Email Liz (liz@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca) with “Barista” in the subject line for more details.

Our Alpha Workshop with The Mabin School

Last Friday, the grade 4 class from The Mabin Scool came by for an Alpha Workshop. At first, they were totally opposed to writing about romance… but then they ended up writing a beautiful love story about an elephant and a ladybug!

We’re very excited to announce that Story Club is starting back up this week! There’s something about collaborating with people from different parts of the galaxy that make creating that much more fun!
Speaking of collaborating… if you’re interested in volunteering or helping to facilitate our after-school programming on Mondays, let us know!

Story Club

Story Club is taking off this Thursday! For the next 6 weeks, the intergalactic travel experts at Story Planet in Toronto and the in-house superheroes from 826NYC in Brooklyn will be working together to publish a duel-city travel guide: The Young Astronaut’s Guide to Toronto/The Young Superhero’s Guide to New York. It’s a truly unique project that we’re absolutely over the moon about!
Story Club is designed for students in grades 3-8 and space is limited. If you’re interested in this program, contact Joe at joe@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca to find out more.

Mindfulness for Teens

Starting next Thursday, February 12, a 5-week introductory mindfulness practice workshop for teens between the ages of 14 and 19 will be running in our space. During this workshop, teens will learn mindfulness practices that will be helpful them manage stress, improve attention and focus and increase overall well being.

The program will be run by Sara Marlowe, MSW, RSW, a clinical social worker who has offered numerous mindfulness groups and workshops for teens, adults, children and families. Follow this link to find out more information about this workshop or to register.

Story Planet is not running this program, but we are happy that it is happening in our space!

We’ll be making a lot of changes to the Intergalactic Travel Authority (our storefront) in the next little bit. We’re not quite ready to announce our plans quite yet, but we do want to take a minute to thank you, our loyal space travel companions, for all of your helpful input and feedback. We’d be positively lost in space without your help!

PD Day Workshops

We had a blast hosting our PD day Alpha and Story Making App workshops this past Friday!

Our Story Making App Workshop is a chance for young storytellers to help us create a story-making app that’ll allow kids to create and share their stories. Thanks to the input we got on Friday, we’re well on our way to developing this app! Thanks to everyone who came out for our PD day workshops!

Arts Market’s Upcoming Charity Craft Supply Swap

Arts Market is hosting a Charity Craft Supply Swap on Saturday, February 21! Swap your beads for paint brushes, meet some creative people and donate to a worthy cause.

Arts Market has teamed up with STRanger Artiste who started the Cold Hands Warm Heart Project with PARC. Instead of a cash participation fee, they ask that you donate an item from the list they’ve posted on their Facebook event, such as toiletries, blankets or hand warmers to give to those who need them most this winter season. Any leftover crafting supplies from the event will be donated to Story Planet.

Check out Arts Market’s Facebook event page for more information. We’re so excited to be a part of this event!

As you may have read in our last blog post, we’ve recently launched new research in partnership with the Michael Cohen Group (MCG), with financial support from the OMDC, exploring how teachers use digital books in the classroom.

On top of that, we’ve got a whole line-up of fun events and workshops planned for this week. If you’d like to get involved, follow this link to find out how you can sign up for our upcoming volunteer orientation event!

Looking for Fundraising Ideas

We’ve been taking a break from outer space to look at our inner space to see how we can make it more awesome. Specifically, we’ve been focusing on the Intergalactic Travel Authority (our storefront) to see if we can make it a more viable contributor to our budget. This means looking at the business model and seeing what we could be doing differently (however radical).

Last Thursday, we hosted a town hall meeting to hear if you, our loyal space travel companions, and you gave us a lot of great ideas! With your help, we’ve made some exciting decisions about the Intergalactic Travel Authority that we’ll be sharing with you soon. We look forward to hearing what you think and getting your feedback on those changes. If you weren’t able to come by but have ideas you’d like to tell us about, please feel free to email, call or even arrange a time to come and meet with us in person. We’d love to see and hear from you!

Alpha Workshops

This week, we welcomed the grade 5 class from Pauline Public School for an Alpha Workshop. While they were here at Story Planet, the students co-wrote “The Bright War of 1985,” a story about Ethel Coocka, an evil girl made of Lego who had snakes for hair!

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

Thanks to your generous contributions, we will be hosting Alpha Workshops for classes from participating Toronto elementary schools every week until March.

While most of the Alpha Workshops we have scheduled in the coming weeks are only for schools coming by on field trips, we do have open registration for the PD Day Alpha Workshop this Friday, January 23 from 10am-12pm, but space is limited! Click here to find out more about our Alpha Workshops and to sign up.

PD Day App Design Workshop

We got so much great feedback from the kids the last time we ran this workshop, that we’re doing it again!

This Friday, January 23 from 1pm-2:30pm (right after the Alpha Workshop), kids between the ages of 8 and 11 are invited to come help us design a storytelling app that’ll help kids like them create and share their stories.

The registration cost for this workshop is a suggested donation of $5, so contact Joe if you’re interested. But please note that registration is almost full!

Remember to Breath: Mindfulness for Teens

Starting on Thursday, February 12, Story Planet will be the venue for a 5-week introductory mindfulness practice workshop for teens between the ages of 14 and 19. In this program, teens will learn mindfulness practices that will be helpful them manage stress, improve attention and focus and increase overall well being.

The program will be run by Sara Marlowe, MSW, RSW, a clinical social worker who has offered numerous mindfulness groups and workshops for teens, adults, children and families. Follow this link to find out more information about this workshop or to register.

Story Planet is not running this program, but we are happy that it is happening in our space!

Volunteer Coordinator Position

We’re looking for someone to help on the administrative side of Story Planet and to support our current coordinator, Rebecca.

If you are organized, social media savvy, enjoy communicating with others on multiple platforms and have a passion for Story Planet, we want you! Oh — and if you know your way around a website, that wouldn’t hurt either!

We are looking for someone to commit at least one day a week in-office, plus be open to answering emails if need be throughout the week.

For more information, or if you’d rather check out some of the other volunteer opportunities we have opening up, please don’t hesitate to email us at volunteer@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca.

Story Planet and the Michael Cohen Group (MCG) launch new research that reveals current in-school digital book practices, key influencers, and purchase drivers among Ontario early elementary teachers and school librarians. The project, “If We Build It Will They Come? Digital Books in the Educational Landscape,” also provides insights at the school and industry level.

“This research helps us understand how and when teachers and librarians use digital books in school. As we develop our own publications, written by children, we’ll have a better sense of how we ourselves can incorporate digital books to encourage children to create their own stories,” says Liz Haines, Executive Director of Story Planet. “Additionally, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned with the Ontario digital book creation community and hope it is useful in informing their strategic plans for growing their business.”

“By identifying current usage as well as the needs and barriers to the more extensive use of digital books in school, we hope this research helps both the Ontario education community and the digital book creation industry as they contend with the complexities of the successful incorporation of digital media into the education system, ” said Carmina Marcial, research director at the MCG and the principal investigator for this project. The research reveals the current state of flux in Ontario schools regarding the purposeful integration of technology, including digital books.

Some of the key findings include:

• Computers remain the most prevalent device used by students to read digital books in school, followed by the iPad
• The most common way both teachers and school librarians look for digital books is through peer recommendations
• The top digital book purchasing influencer for teachers is having a curriculum tie-in, for school librarians their students asking for a specific book
• Words being sounded out when clicked on and audio narration of text were the top 2 features of digital books rated as “beneficial” by teachers and librarians
• A common strategy for schools and district school boards to date has been to first secure the infrastructure that will enable schools to utilize new technologies. Acquisition of content on a more systematic basis will follow
• There are some topics/themes that are underserved by current offerings of educational digital resources
• Digital book design often inhibits learning effectiveness as a result of distracting, non-essential interactive features. Simultaneously, digital books offer enormous opportunity for enhancing learning when appropriate interactive features (e.g., highlighting of words, dictionary, etc.) are included

Funded by a grant from the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the project aims to help Ontario’s digital book creation community find ways to maximize their investment in the digital shift and grow their business.

The study’s methodology involved a four-phase program of primary and secondary market research. Primary research included individual interviews with project partners and school policy makers and an online survey with first and second grade Ontario teachers and school librarians. Secondary research consisted of a review of academic, research, and market knowledge regarding digital books and the digital book industry.

Strategic implications and recommendations – crafted through an analysis and synthesis of findings from the four phases of the Project — are included in the full report. The full report is available on the OMDC website, www.omdc.on.ca under “Research funded by the OMDC”.

Project partners include the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC), eBOUND Canada, Groundwood Books, Kids Can Press, and TVO. Partners participated in initial foundational interviews that helped identify the informational needs of digital book creators and set the stage for the rest of the research.

Story Planet is a non-profit, storymaking centre that delivers free workshops in literacy and arts that encourage young people to create and tell their stories by igniting their imagination, fuelling their knowledge and equipping them with the tools they need to launch their voice.

MCG is a research, evaluation and consulting firm with extensive experience with children, youth and families in the areas of education, child development, media, marketing and strategic communications. Engaged in applied research, scientific evaluation and knowledge-based consulting, the firm’s professionals represent the social sciences, including education, child development and psychology.

An agency of the Province of Ontario, the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is responsible for stimulating economic development in Ontario’s book and magazine publishing, interactive digital media, film, television, and music industries. For more information, visit www.omdc.on.ca.

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is a national, not-for-profit organization, founded in 1976. We are dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing, illustrating and publishing of Canadian books for young readers. With book collections and extensive resources in five cities across Canada, the CCBC is a treasure-trove for anyone interested in Canadian books for young readers. Our programs, publications, and resources help teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents select the very best for young readers.

eBOUND Canada’s goal is to advance any publisher’s digital engagement, no matter their size or their level of expertise. As the market evolves, so will we, always with this mandate in mind.

Groundwood Books is an independent Canadian publisher of beautiful and thought-provoking books for children. For over 35 years we have been attracting attention, praise, starred reviews and awards for our warm and intelligent children’s books

Kids Can Press, the largest Canadian-owned children’s publisher in the world — home to major children’s brands Franklin the Turtle and Scaredy Squirrel, and to an array of international award-winning books — celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2013. From its early years as a small collective borne out of a desire to publish high-quality, socially responsible children’s books, Kids Can Press has evolved into a broad-based content company, adapting as the world of books and publishing has changed through the decades.

About TVO. As the technological extension of Ontario’s public education system, TVO’s vision is to create a better world through the power of learning. TVO provides learning opportunities for Ontarians through innovative educational products, in-depth current affairs, groundbreaking documentaries, and award-winning TVOKids resources both inside and outside the classroom. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

There’s a lot going on here at Story Planet this week! Our Homework Club is back on, our Afterlight Book Club is meeting up and our Parents and Tots Meetup event is becoming a regular thing. On top of all that, in the very near future, we’ll be announcing lots of upcoming events and workshops, so stay tuned for more details!

If you’re interested in joining in on the fun, we’re always looking for volunteer crew members and we have some great new programs coming up soon. Follow this link to find out how you can take part and how to get involved!

Homework Club is back on!

Homework Club, the free homework help workshop we host after school on Tuesdays for kids between the ages of 6 and 12 is officially back on after pausing for the holidays. To those of you who signed up your kids in September, we’ll see you after school!

Afterlight Book Club

Our Afterlight Book Club is a monthly Meetup event that we host on the first Tuesday of every month. Anyone who enjoys reading and discussing novels in a fun and relaxed atmosphere is welcome to come. We provide the snacks and discussion questions. All we ask is that you contribute to the Meetup costs on a “pay what you can” basis. Any other proceeds from the events go to funding other Story Planet programming like the Alpha Workshop for kids.

This Tuesday at 7:30, if you have time to read the book in time, we’ll be discussing Adult Onset by Ann-Marie MacDonald: a powerful drama about family, motherhood and love.

If you can’t make it to this Tuesday’s event, next month (February 10), we’ll be discussing Sean Michaels’ Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novel, Us Conductors. Click here to find more information and to RSVP to Afterlight Book Club events. Happy reading!

Parents and Tots Meetup event

As we mentioned in last week’s blog post, our Parents and Tots Meetup event is a comfortable and fun opportunity for parents of babies and toddlers to get out of the cold, grab a coffee and snack at the Intergalactic Travel Authority (our kid-friendly coffee shop), meet new people, hear from interesting speakers and hang out. We provide creative activities and fun toys for the kids. All we ask is that you contribute to the Meetup costs on a “pay what you can” basis. Other proceeds from the events go to funding other Story Planet programming for underserved kids living in Toronto.

Updated store hours on the Intergallactic Travel Authority website

We’ve updated the store hours on the Intergalactic Travel Authority website. Learn more about what we do, check out when we’re open and come by for a coffee!

All of the proceeds from the coffee and Earth souvenirs sold at the store go directly to Story Planet, which helps provide free programming to kids in Toronto, so naturally, our coffee is the best in the galaxy!