The oldest civic organization in Cleveland, the Kiwanis Club of Cleveland, donated $2,500 to Cleveland State for the Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss event. Pictured, left to right: Paul Walters, Kiwanis Club board member; Dr. John Squires, interim vice president, Work Force Development, executive director of Cleveland State Foundation and Institutional Research; Dr. Ty Stone, CSCC president; Lee McChesney, CSCC director of Development; Chuck Evans, Kiwanis Club president; Dr. Ryan Thompson, CSCC dean of Humanities and Social Sciences; Margaret Horten, CSCC Education Career Community director.
Cleveland State Community College will host the 19th annual Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Celebration on Saturday, March 4. The event will take place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Cleveland State’s Library and is sponsored by the Early Childhood Education program and the CSCC Library. The celebration is organized by students in the ECED 2380 Language and Literacy and ECED 2365 Final Practicum classes.
This year’s event will honor the book The Shape of Me and Other Stuff. Originally published in 1973, the story explores the adventures of two kids and their journey to learn about all the shapes and sizes that make up our world.
Children attending will be able to participate in both active and artistic activities related to the feature story as well as Dr. Seuss’s most popular books.
Officials said, "As with previous events, special guests will include Dr. Seuss’s most well-known characters, the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two and the Grinch. Both children and adults are familiar with the uncontrollable and entertaining Cat from Dr. Seuss’s book, The Cat in the Hat. The Cat is accompanied by the twin mischief-makers, Thing One and Thing Two, and together they bounce from one catastrophic fun-making adventure to another. The Grinch, the title character from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, is a cynical cave-dweller who has a sudden change of heart when he realizes the real meaning of Christmas.:
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss is free to children of all ages; however, all children must be accompanied by an adult. Each child will receive a goody bag, a hardback Dr. Seuss book and may participate in literacy-related activities assisted by Cleveland State students. Other activities will include face painting, hat making, egg decorating, chalk art, fishing, digging for worms and music and movement. Refreshments and door prizes will also be part of the celebration.
"The Kiwanis Club of Cleveland has generously given money to purchase books for the event, and members of the Kiwanis club will be there to give a free hardback Dr. Seuss book to every child that attends," officials said. "There will be hardback books for preschoolers and board books for infants and toddlers. There will be a few books of different titles available in Spanish as well. A representative from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will be on hand. The Imagination Library is a nonprofit organization that promotes early childhood literacy by giving free age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five around the country.
"The Early Childhood Education Program at Cleveland State began in 1999 out of an initiative from the Tennessee Board of Regents requiring that all community colleges in the state have an early childhood program. Students may receive a Child Development Associate designation by completing a four-course option and related credentialing procedures, a 24-credit hour Early Childhood Education Technical Certificate, or may pursue an associate of applied science degree by completing the two-year, 61-credit-hour program. The Early Childhood Education program is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Cleveland State has transfer agreements with many area colleges that allow students to transfer and complete their degree to teach pre-K through third grade. The Early Childhood Education program is part of the Education Career Community, which provides a foundation and degrees for future teachers interested in teaching birth through grade 12."
Those interested in more information about the Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss event or the Education Career Community should contact Margaret Horten at 423-473-2371 or mhorten@clevelandstatecc.edu.