Zimmerli to Celebrate Storytelling

The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University is pleased to announce the March 2013 schedule for Celebration of Storytelling and Preschool Educators Workshop.

The Zimmerli’s Storytelling programs are free to participants, made possible by a generous grant from the PNC Foundation and delivered in support of its signature cause in early childhood education, PNC Grow Up Great. These popular programs, which take place at the museum located at 71 Hamilton Ave. on the College Avenue campus of Rutgers University, fill up quickly, so early registration is highly recommended by emailing education@zimmerli.rutgers.edu or calling 848-932-6766.

Storytelling Time 

Internationally acclaimed storyteller Len Cabral conducts the Zimmerli’s seventh annual Celebration of Storytelling on Tuesday and Thursday, March 19 and 21, from 10 to 11 a.m. Celebration of Storytelling is open to preschool age classes as well as individuals (appropriate for ages 3 to 5 years old), but seating is limited and reservations are required by calling 848-932-6766. Children who are not part of a school group must be accompanied by an adult.

Cabral has been enchanting audiences with his storytelling performances at schools, libraries, museums, and theaters since 1976. His Cape Verdean ancestry comes alive in his exuberant retelling of African, Cape Verdean, and Caribbean folktales, as well as original stories and tales from around the world. Cabral has performed at festivals in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Holland, Ireland, and the United States, and received the National Storytelling Network Circle of Excellence Oracle Award. The author of a children's book and contributor to several folktale collections, Cabral also has released audio collections, several receiving NAPPA and Parents' Choice awards.

Preschool Educators

Cabral also leads the Preschool Educators Workshop on Tuesday, March 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. Space is limited to 35 educators. Each participant receives three professional development credit hours for attending the program. Refreshments will be served. Please call 848-932-6766 for more information or to register. 

Cabral will share the methods that he has found effective throughout his career as a professional storyteller, focusing on “the nuts and bolts” of storytelling: finding, learning, and setting the stage for stories, as well as avoiding common mistakes that hinder the process. Using stories that he often shares with children from ages three to 12, Cabral provides concrete examples of these techniques, including the value of participation, the importance of repetition, and how to lengthen the attention span of children. He also offers ideas that encourage even the most reluctant student to create his or her own stories. A question and answer session, as well as a handout, enhance an understanding of the process. 

The celebration of Storytelling and Preschool Educators Workshop is supported by funding from The PNC Foundation as part of PNC Grow Up Great, a multi-year $350 million investment in early education.

The Zimmerli Art Museum is located at 71 Hamilton St. at George Street on the College Avenue campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The Zimmerli is a short walk from the NJ Transit train station in New Brunswick, midway between New York City and Philadelphia.

Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., and the first Wednesday of each month (except August), 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays, major holidays, and the month of August.

Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for 65 and over; and free for museum members, children under 18, and Rutgers students, faculty, and staff (with ID). Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month. For more information, call 848.932.7237 or visit the museum’s website:www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu