Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
The first ever Santiam Kinderfest is coming to the Santiam Center in Sublimity on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., thanks to the Marion and Polk Early Learning Hub – a nonprofit that supports “families and children in early childhood education and development.”
“We have for many years wanted to engage the community in the canyon in a different way,” Tiffany Gallagher, the Parent Education and Family Engagement Coordinator, said. She described Kinderfest as “a way for us to get to know the community and promote early [school] registration.”
It’s also a way for families – especially those with young children – to find out more about local community resources and the different schools available to them.
“We’re working with all of the elementary schools to hopefully have a table,” Gallagher said. “We’ll also have some preschool focus. The idea is to have families get to know their schools.”
Kinderfest will be able to help with registration in the North Santiam, Santiam Canyon and Cascade school districts.
Also present will be organizations like WIC, the Oregon Department of Human Services, local food banks and public libraries with the goal of helping families discover “how they can be really successful and who to turn to when there are challenges.”
Free, the event will also provide refreshments, giveaways and a drawing for a bike or gardening kit.
“This is our first Kinderfest and we’re hoping it’ll be a success,” Gallagher said.
