40 new and veteran BookPALS attended the annual training workshop on Saturday, October 29 in Seattle. The event was held at the Seattle Center's Center House Theatre. BookPALS participated in reading aloud to eachother and acted out the scary story, Four Boys In All, by Gahan Wilson. Master storyteller Nancy Calos-Nakano, actively demonstrated how to keep children engaged in your story, especially those who are distracted, not paying attention or talking.
The workshop created volunteer leadership to build the BookPALS program outside of Seattle.
New Seattle SAG Executive Director Dena Beatty, has enrolled Portland Oregon SAG members in the BookPALS program. A special BookPALS presentation will be offered at December 19, annual membership meeting in Portland.
A board member from the Tacoma Actors Guild, Nan Peele, (an equity theatre company) is taking on recruitment of a BookPALS progam in the Tacoma area, which is 40 miles South of Seattle. She is collaborating with the school district there. A special South Sound BookPALS reading workshop will be offered to that community.
A feisty BookPAL who calls herself the reading grandma - Connie Alderman, is leading an effort to recruit BookPALS in the Bellingham region - 90 miles north of Seattle.
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