The Curiosity Creates grant has been made possible by a donation to the association by Disney.
Somerset County Library System of New Jersey's North Plainfield Memorial Library branch, located at 6 Rockview Ave., North Plainfield, has been named a recipient of American Library Association's Association for Library Service to Children "Curiosity Creates" grant.
The Curiosity Creates grant has been made possible by a donation to the association by Disney.
The library branch will receive $7,500 to support seven components of creativity (imagination and originality, flexibility, decision-making, communication and self-expression, collaboration, motivation, action and movement) through "Talk It Up" programming aimed to encourage children ages 6-14 to explore public speaking, as well as books and materials to be added to the library collection and given to patrons in the community.
"There are a lot of great thinkers, a smaller group of good writers, but the smallest subset is good oral communicators," said Amy Behr, youth services librarian at the North Plainfield Memorial Library branch and grant lead. "Through this grant, we will encourage children and teens to step outside of their comfort zone and speak publicly, or 'Talk It Up.' Providing these children with a new skill and allowing them to believe in themselves will build up their confidence, thus cultivating creativity in the future."
The "Talk It Up" programs at SCLSNJ's North Plainfield Memorial Library branch that will be funded by the Curiosity Creates grant will be announced early 2016. For more information, visit SCLSNJ.org or call 908-755-7909.