Sing, read, play, write, and talk with the World Traveling Trunks—cultural-themed toolboxes that celebrate cultures around the globe while enriching our local communities throughout Philadelphia. Building cultural awareness and embracing diversity in a cross-cultural environment will help children to develop cross-cultural social skills and connect with the traditions, history, and way of living of other global citizens. In order to participate in this program, you will need to free your imagination, get your global passport, fasten your seat belt, and be ready to fly internationally! You must also have the desire to learn across cultures, immerse yourself into the local traditions, and share cross-cultural experiences with citizens of the world.

What is the World Traveling Trunk program?
The World Traveling Trunk is a "cultural-themed ready-to-go program in a box" packed with books, music CDs, and basic educational resources to explore a country or a region in the world. The objective of this program is to provide an environment at neighborhood libraries that promotes bilingualism in a positive way and cross-cultural immersion skills for children and their families. Understanding how we connect globally will provide opportunities to communicate and interact effectively with people around the world. In addition, children will be on their way to gain general disciplinary knowledge in a fun way! This idea came about during a brainstorming session of former New Americans committee members that debated the need to keep building a quilt of cultural awareness and inclusion in our younger generation and their families.

Fly to Mexico, West Africa, or Asia—first, get your global passport!
This is a fun and intergenerational multicultural storytime! Children attending this program will need a global passport to simulate traveling to these geographical areas—the librarian can explain to you how you can obtain one during the program. During the multicultural storytime, the Children's Librarian will read and share unique folktale stories setting up a cultural atmosphere for exploration. Learning a few words in a foreign language or listening to unfamiliar melodies will help your child grow in a multilingual environment. These activities will foster cross-cultural social skills that will help your little one navigate through everyday challenges, promoting creative ways for problem solving and analytical thinking in a cross-cultural environment. Children will be exposed to a dual language learning experience! In addition, they will increase their vocabulary, all the while learning cultural motivators, values, beliefs, and history. Everyone will sing, read, play, write and talk!

The World Traveling Trunks will be making their debut in June during Immigrant Heritage Month, when “Every voice is unique. Every story is powerful.” Andorra Library, Overbrook Park Library, Wadsworth Library, Independence Library, Queen Memorial Library, and Fumo Family Library will all be hosting events around the World Traveling Trunks theme.

If you do not have a library card, please make sure to sign-up for one! Additional free learning tips that help foster literacy development in children can be found on our blog.

Safe travels!!

 This pilot program is being sponsored by the Friends of the Independence Library and the Strategic Initiatives Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia.