Dylan Teut, Executive Director of the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival at Concordia University in Seward, presented a complete 2019 festival report to the Seward Rotary Club at their recent Oct. 2, 2019 meeting at noon at the Jones Bank auditorium. The presentation was preceded by a noon luncheon, a business meeting and introductions. Teut was introduced by Seward Rotarian of the Month and co-program chair John Owens of Seward. Dr. Brian Friderich is the co-chair of the October Rotary Club programs.
Dylan Teut, Executive Director of the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival at Concordia University in Seward, presented a complete 2019 festival report to the Seward Rotary Club at their recent Oct. 2, 2019 meeting at noon at the Jones Bank auditorium. The presentation was preceded by a noon luncheon, a business meeting and introductions. Teut was introduced by Seward Rotarian of the Month and co-program chair John Owens of Seward. Dr. Brian Friderich is the co-chair of the October Rotary Club programs.
Teut has been the Executive Director of the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival since 2016. Teut shared his appreciation to the first Festival Executive Director –Concordia University’s Dr. Janell Uffelman, who began the festival in 1996 and developed the festival into what it has become and evolved into today because of her strong leadership and vision. This year the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival was September 19-21, 2019.
Teut started the presentation thanking and saluting the Seward Rotary Club for hosting the annual Author’s Nebraska Steak Fry at the Seward Ike’s Cabin. He spoke on the success of the wonderful author’s steak fry and how so many of the author’s look forward to the end of the day dinner and fellowship. The 2019 dinner was co-sponsored by the Seward Rotary Club and the Seward Kiwanis Club, co-chaired by Rotarian Greg Zabkaand Kiwanian Jill Perdue.
With a PowerPoint presentation, Teut first addressed the club on the “IMPACT” of the festival and shared stories contributed by the students, authors and teachers that have participated in the festival this last year. He pointed out that many of the impact on students and teachers are often delayed and yet some are immediate. He presented several examples and stories on how the festival experience impacted the children and shared email “thank you” notes of appreciation from teachers, parents and students.
The festival facts include the statistics of serving 15,521 students in 2019-over 5,500 on campus and the rest of the students were contacted with visiting author presentations on their campuses in Omaha, Lincoln, Bennington and York. The Seward, Utica, Milford, St. John and St. Vincent students heard their presentations on Thursday, Sept. 19 and the out of town students visited Concordia on Friday, September 20th. On campus the students are involved in activities on the mall, two or three author’s presentations and interaction with Concordia interactive presentations in drama and story time.
A special, annual “book art show and exhibit” at the Marxhausen Gallery titled “Fun on the Farm was an original Farm-Themed Art from Children’s books on loan from the Mazza Museum was on display from August 19 to October 4, 2019. The art show was sponsored by the Holthus Family of York and Ted Kooser and Kathleen Rutledge.
He spoke on the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival Adult Conference for Teachers on Saturday, September 21, with almost 600 in attendance and a sold out noon luncheon featuring acclaimed author Kate Dicamillo who addressed the group on “Why Do Writers Write? A Story About a Story!” There were 17 visiting authors for the conference. There were 11 states represented at the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival for a day of professional development. There are author’s presentations in both the morning and afternoon, with 12 additional regional educational presenters added in the afternoon sessions.
Author’s attending the 2019 festival included Sarah Albee-Watertown, CT, Ben Clanton-Tacoma, WA, Kekla Magoon-Montpelier, VT, Lita Judge-Peterborough, NH, Alan and Wendell Katz-Weston, CT, Florence Minor-Washington, CT, Barbara O’Connor-Asheville, NC, Lin Oliver-Los Angeles, CA, Jason Reynolds-Washington, DC, Lori Richmond-Brooklyn, NY, Stephen Savage-Brooklyn, NY, Matt Tavares-Ogunquit, ME, Duncan Tonatiuh-Laredo, TX, and Eugene Yelchin-Topenga, CA.
Teut pointed out that the Seward Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival is one of the nation’s premier children’s literacy festivals in the nation. He was recently told that many of the nation’s chlldren authors have the goal of presenting at the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy festival on their “bucket list!”
He commented that he annually has an “open application and request” on the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival Facebook site and was overwhelmed with requests and offers to present annually from children author presenters-with almost 140 requests to speak at the next year festival.
Jill Johnson, Vice Principal at Seward High, commented on the annual success of the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival author presentation at the high school. Seward High offers an “all school reads” program with the author’s book available for check-out in the library, and some Language Arts Classes using the designated novel in the classroom. This year’s Seward High’s All School Read is “Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds of Washington, DC.
The Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival is free and open to all children at no charge. The Adult Festival Day for professionals does charge a fee of $99 per person, which included attendance to teacher sessions and a luncheon and speaker presentation. The festival is funded by partnerships, Concordia University, the Seward Community-individuals and businesses, Publishers, National Council Teachers of English and grants from National Foundations and businesses and industries.
He commented on the many favorable impressions the festival and community instill with the visiting authors, and their positive impressions. He also joked on the unique site of the dozens and dozens of school buses entering, parking and leaving Seward and commented on the author selection process.
Next year’s Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival celebrates the 25th anniversary of the annual festival on September 24-26th, 2020. He encouraged the Rotary to “like” the festival on Facebook and can reach Dylan at Dylan.Teut@cune.edu
The Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival will also be sponsoring the Fourth Annual “Breakfast and Books” event on Saturday, March 21, 2020 on Concordia University Campus featuring authors Chris Raschka and Mark Teague. The registration will open soon and registration can be made online at www.cune.edu/plumcreek.
Questions and answers closed the presentation.