Story Cubes to spark imagination

Nelson Park
School students have teamed up with well-known local children’s authors to
develop an eye-catching storytelling project.

The Story Cubes
will sit outside the Corio Library, providing colourful public art pieces that
aim to engage young children with storytelling and literacy.

The cubes
feature images from:

Nan
Bodsworth’s A Nice Walk in the Jungle;

Jiri Tibor Novak’s Birdman; and

A
selection of Jedda Robaard’s Little
Creature series.

Nelson Park’s
Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students researched, selected
and commissioned the three author-illustrators to take part in the initiative.

The Story Cubes
are an accessible way to connect young children and their families with
literacy and to encourage the development of reading and language skills.

The interactive
cubes can also be used as seats, allowing visitors to relax and connect to the
library’s free wifi.

Deputy Mayor
Peter Murrihy officially launched the Story Cubes at Corio Library on Monday.

He was joined
by the authors, artist Don Walters, the students and their teachers to
celebrate the completion of the project.

The City’s Manager
Connected Communities Leigh McCallum compered the launch.

Nelson Park’s
VCAL students have partnered with the City to create several community projects
over the past three years.

These include
the Mindfulness Bay Walk in Corio, Story Walk in Whittington and the Kinder Kit
Box for playgroups in the Corio-Norlane area.

Deputy Mayor Peter Murrihy

I’d like to
congratulate Nelson Park’s students for their fantastic work in delivering this
colourful and engaging project.

The City is
proud to have supported the students on a range of initiatives, which not only
benefit their own education and personal development but enrich the wider
community.

We hope Story Cubes
will help spark the imagination of the library’s youngest visitors and lead to
a lifetime love of reading and learning.

Nelson Park School students

It will
be great to be able to see kids using their imaginations from something we have
created. – Tyler

We have
been inspired and influenced to commit acts of kindness in the World. – Ben

We hope
that people will enjoy the Story Cubes and that they bring people
together. – Shakira and Tyler

I hope
children are able to make connections from things in their own lives through
the Story Cubes. – Lochlan

I feel
grateful for the opportunity to create and provide something for the community;
it develops friendship, respect and teamwork. – James