Concordia Hosts 23rd Annual Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival
Senior Micah Symmank teaches children about the color wheel at the 23rd annual Plum Creek children’s Literacy Festival. Photo by Robin Consier.
by Hayden Rensner
On Friday and Saturday, Concordia welcomed thousands of teachers, students and visitors to campus in celebration of the 23rd annual Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival and Adult Conference.
On Friday, students from all over Nebraska, and some from Kansas, took over Concordia’s campus. Students enjoyed meeting with select authors and participating in various workshops and activities.
Professor Dylan Teut, who has been in charge of running the festival for the past four years, commends the authors for inspiring children through their sessions.
“The general theme of a lot of the author/illustrator talks is that whatever children should want to do, they should have the courage and determination to follow their dreams,” Teut said.
On Saturday, teachers, Concordia students and adult participants had the opportunity to hear from select authors and illustrators including Brian Degen, illustrator of Scholastic’s “The Magic School Bus” series, and New York Times best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson.
Adult participant Anne Kennedy has attended the Plum Creek Adult Conference six years in a row. Kennedy said she comes back every year because the conference never disappoints.
“I love how it’s (the conference) set up. I love the subject matter that is covered, and all the authors that they bring in,” Kennedy said.
A lot of hard work goes into the festival every year, but Teut says that it is all worth it.
“I can’t pick a favorite moment because there are so many unique things that make each day a joy, but after you spend that many days working on something, just seeing everything in accumulation come together is really a tremendous experience,” Teut said.
