Valentine's At TYO

Here at TYO, we love celebrating Valentine's Day. It's a day to appreciate our friends, colleagues, families and teachers. Although we're always feeling the love in our center, for this favorite American holiday, TYO opened its doors to 35 children ages 8-12 to participate in Valentine's themed programming in our new libraries. Led by TYO's interns, fellows, volunteers and staff, we had various fun and educational stations for our children to enjoy. Students started off the afternoon by learning about Valentine's Day including the history and traditions as practiced in the United States. Most of our children knew about the holiday and colors often associated with Valentine's Day, but they never knew the history and have never celebrated it themselves. Children were asked to share what they love and they claim to love "John Cena", "Real Madrid" and "hummus." Once students were excited about the day, we began breaking off groups into stations.

The bingo station featured Valentine's themed bingo - a beloved American game unfamiliar to children in Palestine - and also proved to be a great way for students to practice their English vocabulary. We also had a card making and bookmark station where students wrote notes and made gifts to their siblings and parents. All students also visited the story station where our university volunteers led a reading and discussion of one of our MEPI books. With our new libraries open for business, we hope to continue fostering a culture of reading in Nablus.

Check out some highlights from the day!

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