City Of Long Beach Public Library Invites Residents To Participate In Fourth Annual Celebration Of The Young Child Event

Long Beach CA

19 April, 2022

9:48 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Long Beach: April 19, 2022 Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach will host its fourth annual "Celebration of the Young Child" (Celebration) event on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Billie Jean King Main Library, located at 200 W. Broadway, and on the grounds of the new Lincoln Park in downtown. The Celebration is a free annual event to showcase vendors who provide services and resources for young children and their families and caregivers. All families are welcome to attend to learn about various available resources and engage in fun, family friendly entertainment. "The first years of a child's life are crucial to getting a healthy start," said Mayor Robert García. "Our city is continuing to invest in young children and their families to ensure all our residents have a bright and healthy future." The Celebration will include information booths from local and regional education centers, agencies and vendors who provide services to families and children up to age 6. Booths will be set up outside on the BJK Library terrace with educational handouts that promote healthy child development, resources for parents, and fun and educational hands-on activities like no-mess painting and hula hoop games. Other event activities include storytimes, songs and movement for toddlers and preschool-aged children, hosted by Library staff, and performances by local children's performing groups that will take place in the adjacent Lincoln Park, among other entertainment offerings. Families are encouraged to come for the information but stay for the fun! Free parking will be available in the Civic Center parking garage located at the corner of Broadway and Chestnut Avenue. "The Health Department is proud to support children and their families in Long Beach. Children bring hope, joy and excitement to our communities, and the possibility for a better future. We are grateful for the engagement of Mayor Garcia, our partners, and the entire village of people it takes to raise, feed, teach, heal and love the children across Long Beach," said Director of Health and Human Services Kelly Colopy. "Our work together is more important than ever and fundamental to the Health Department's vision that everyone within our diverse communities is safe, healthy, and has the resources to thrive." This year, the Celebration will be held jointly at the Billie Jean King Main Library and the newly opened Lincoln Park. Public spaces like libraries and city parks play vital roles in the healthy development of children, and the organizing committee is thrilled to host this year's event in the revitalized downtown area. "The Celebration of the Young Child event provides rich opportunities for young children to explore, learn and play," said Acting Director of Library Services Christine Hertzel. "Experiences like these make it more likely for children to succeed in school and beyond." The Celebration of the Young Child event is a citywide event made possible by a collaboration between the Health Department's Early Childhood Education Program, the Long Beach Public Library, and the Mayor's Fund for Education. About the City of Long Beach Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program. For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. About Long Beach Public Library Long Beach Public Library, founded in 1896, serves a diverse urban city of close to half a million people. The Long Beach Public Library system includes the Billie Jean King Main Library and eleven neighborhood libraries and a vibrant online presence. In summer of 2017, the Long Beach Public Library was awarded the National Medal for Library and Museum Services in recognition of successful community-collaborations, innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy-focused programs to the residents of Long Beach. With an emphasis on providing free and equal access to information and support for learning for a lifetime, the Library offers books, media, databases, Internet access, Family Learning Centers, makerspaces, and a variety of events ranging from story times to educational and cultural programs. For more information, visit http://www.longbeach.gov/library, "Like" the Long Beach Public Library on Facebook, and follow along on Twitterand Instagram. About the Mayor's Fund for Education The Mayor's Fund for Education is a nonprofit working in collaboration with the Mayor of Long Beach in support of education in our city and the commitment we have to the Long Beach College Promise. The mission of the Mayor's Fund for Education is to offer community‐wide programs and amplify efforts of local education stakeholders to provide a cradle‐to‐career approach ensuring all students have access to educational pathways and careers resulting in a vibrant local economy. This press release was produced by the City of Long Beach. The views expressed here are the author's own.