 "Photo: Bryant Haertlein")
Kids dressed in decorative outfits ran frantically, crossing the border to Mexico and going overseas to Japan while never leaving the confines of a classroom.
The University Child Development Center hosted its 15th Annual Multicultural Festival on Saturday. The event capped off the Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children that focuses public attention on the needs of young children and their families and recognizes the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
"Every day last week, the center had activities for parents and children. Thursday was crazy hair day, so both my boys, ages 4 and 2, did silly things with their hair - one had a Mohawk, the
other had crazy pigtails with blue paint," said Erin Geisler, parent and spokeswoman for the center.
The center provides care and education to the children of University students, staff and faculty, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.
"The center serves the UT population, and our population is so diverse, and by celebrating this diversity it helps to bring multiculturalism to kids in a fun and meaningful way," said Kelsey Evans, chair of the Parent Advisory Council for the center.
All of the activities were devised, organized and led by the development center's parents.
Each classroom in the center represented a different country and had a different activity. Some events included: Cooking Works, where students created edible animals out of various fruits and other healthy snacks; Around the World Café, which featured food from Italy, Mexico, India, Thailand, China and Greece; international flag making; and plate and tile decorating.
The event also featured an outside Japanese taiko drum
performance by sixth-grade students from Walnut Creek Elementary School.
English as a Second Language students from the UT International Office also hosted a presentation where children learned more about Comoros, Thailand, China, Chile, Saudi Arabia and Spain through colorful illustrations and from natives of the countries.
"My students get an opportunity to practice their English, and it's a wonderful opportunity for these kids to learn more about other cultures," said Tracy Frank, an ESL instructor at UT.
The center has two locations in Austin: one on campus and one on Comal Street. The on-campus location has 170 students, and the other has 190 students.
"This event is just a great way to celebrate our diversity," said Sandra Briley, director of the development center.
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