EPEL and Community Partners Plan Special Activities to Celebrate the Week of the Young Child
ELGIN - As part of its commitment to increasing access to early learning opportunities for young children, the Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL) will celebrate the Week of the Young Child by joining community partners to co-host playgroups, storytimes, music classes, vision screenings, a swim session, outdoor activities, and more, all free to area families.
The family engagement activities are being planned with 20 community partners from Bartlett, Elgin, South Elgin, Hanover Park, and Streamwood, all that are helping EPEL to build a strong foundation and early childhood systems for the area’s earliest learners.
The Week of the Young Child is a national event designed to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. It’s an objective that aligns perfectly with the purpose of EPEL, a non-profit that engages families, organizations, the early childhood workforce, and healthcare providers within the greater Elgin area to create a collaborative community-wide system of support for every young child to succeed in school and life.
This year, the Week of the Young Child is being recognized April 6-12, 2024, but it will get off to an early start with a mobile food pantry on Thursday, April 4, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Ontarioville Elementary School, 2100 Elm Ave. in Hanover Park. Called “Feeding Your Body and Feeding Your Mind,” the event is being co-sponsored by EPEL and the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
“When children do not have enough to eat, it can limit their ability to learn and grow to their full potential,” said Maeven Sipes, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Northern Illinois Food Bank. “Together, we ensure young neighbors facing hunger receive nourishment for their minds and bodies so they can thrive.”
The Poplar Creek Public Library District will be at the food pantry to share literacy resources. The Gail Borden Public Library and Bartlett Public Library will also be a part of several Week of the Young Child events. Other community partners supporting the Week of the Young Child include Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras, Elgin Community Bikes, Elgin Police Department, My Recess Therapy, South Elgin Parks Preschool, the Centre of Elgin, Elgin Public Museum, YWCA Elgin, School District U-46, and the Elgin Lions Club.
This is the third year EPEL has coordinated activities to mark the Week of the Young Child. A list of activities can be found on EPEL’s website at elginpartnership.org, Facebook page at facebook.com/theEPEL, Instagram channel at instagram.com/elginpartnership or by scanning the QR code on flyers placed around the community. Most activities are aimed at children from babies through 8 years old and some require advance registration for planning purposes.
Some of the other events that EPEL is sponsoring or co-sponsoring include:
“Music Monday” from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 8, with the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras at the Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Attendees will enjoy an engaging and interactive afternoon full of dancing and playing instruments.
"Preschool Fair" at South Elgin Park District on Wednesday, April 10, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from birth to five at 10 N. Water Street, South Elgin. Attendees will play games and have fun learning about early learning opportunities.
A “Tot Time Swim” on Thursday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for children five and under, accompanied by a parent or guardian, at the Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way in Elgin.
A “Bike/Trike & Stroll” on Friday, April 12, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Elgin Community Bikes, 69 S. Riverside Drive, Elgin. This event will wrap up the Week of the Young Child celebrations and will feature bike decorating and washing, bike registration, safety education, and a storywalk. Co-sponsors include Elgin Bikes, the Elgin Police Department, and Gail Borden Library.
EPEL Executive Director Amber Peters said even seemingly simple activities like an outing to a swimming pool or a visit to a library storytime play a vital role in engaging young children in early learning and putting them on a path to a bright future.
“The Week of the Young Child is one of the collaboration's favorite weeks as it gives EPEL and our community partners multiple opportunities to meet families where they are, highlighting the importance of early childhood and the critical role families play in nurturing their children’s learning, growth and overall well-being,” Peters said.
Note: Media interested in covering any Week of the Young Child events should contact Amber Peters at 847-452-2457. | 
