Marsal School of Education Martin Luther King Jr Children and Youth Program

Join us at the University of Michigan's Marsal Family School of Education's Martin Luther King Jr. Children and Youth Program! This incredible event will be held in the University of Michigan's School of Education Building at 610 East University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI. It's a fantastic opportunity for children and youth in grades Pre-Kindergarten-12 to learn about, engage with, and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through fun and educational activities.

The MLK Jr. Children and Youth Program was started by Dr. Henry Meares in 1998. Throughout these memorable years, this day has been filled with fun, creativity, dialogue, and entertainment. Our events have included storytelling, guided discussions and group projects, skits, rap poetry, and various musical performances. The program is facilitated by capable adults, many of whom are professional educators, youth workers, or students in the Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan who have experience working with children or who are preparing to become teachers.

Please note: We require a parent or guardian to attend with their pre-kindergarteners.

It is the goal of the University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education to provide a safe, healthy, and secure environment for all participants of the MLK Children & Youth Program. Children and youth who attend this program are expected to follow the Code of Conduct below and to interact appropriately in a group setting.

We will:

• Be responsible for our own words and actions.
• Respect each other and our environment.
• Follow directions from all adult staff and volunteers.
• Respect all program equipment, facilities, and grounds.

We will not:

• Use profanity, offensive language, or name-calling.
• Display physical aggression, e.g. hitting, kicking, pulling, fighting, spitting, inappropriate touching, etc.
• Possess weapons. Any object that may cause harm to another, or place another person in fear of his/her safety, may be considered a weapon.
• Possess illegal substances, tobacco, or alcohol.
• Refuse to follow the guidelines in this document or instructions provided by program volunteers and staff.

Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in the removal of the participant from the program and/or program facility.

Arrival, Drop-Off, and Parking

• For grades pre-kindergarten through 5, please arrive between 8:00 and 8:20 a.m., as the event begins promptly at 8:30 a.m.
• For grades 6 through 12, please arrive between 8:30 and 8:50 a.m., as the event begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.
• For pre-kindergarten participants only, parents/guardians will be required to stay with their child/ren. We recommend parking at any of the unbagged meters on nearby streets, which will be free for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. There will also be parking available for $1.65 per hour at the Forest Parking Structure, which is located at 650 S Forest Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

We will have a section of bagged parking meters in front of the building along East University Ave. that you may use for temporary parking to bring your child/ren into the building and check them in. So that we may have a steady, efficient flow of registered participants checking in, please do not use this space for longer term parking.

A map with parking details is available here.

When you arrive with your child/ren, please proceed through the main entrance of the Marsal School of Education, which is located at the northeast corner of the building. For participants who need a barrier free entrance, there is a ramp leading up to a door with a push plate style activation switch that is also located at the northeast corner of the building. For safety reasons, these are the only two building entrances that will be open on the day of the event.

Check in will take place along the main hallway near the entrance to the building and will be divided alphabetically by participants’ last names. Volunteers will assist you in checking in your child/ren, providing them with name tags and providing you with a pick-up form to use for picking up your child/ren at 3:00 p.m. Once you receive these items, you will bring your child/ren to the designated section where volunteers will escort them to their classrooms to begin the day’s activities.

Lunch and Snacks

We will be serving Domino’s cheese pizza, bottled water, and nut-free snacks during the program. If your child is in need of a different dietary option, you may send your child with their own lunch or snacks, or you may alert Brittany Campbell at [email protected] of an alternative dietary option (example: gluten free and/or dairy-free pizza) that would work better for your child. Please alert Brittany by Monday, January 12 if we need to provide your child with a different dietary accommodation.

Departure

You may use the same bagged parking spaces or any available street parking (free for MLK Day) to pick up your child/ren at 3:00 p.m. Please bring the hard copy or a picture of the pick-up form you received at drop off/check-in and a form of photo identification.

Volunteers will direct you to the second floor classrooms where you will pick up your child/ren from their classes. You will show the classroom teacher leader or classroom assistant your pick up form when you arrive. The teacher leader or classroom assistant in your child/ren’s classrooms may ask to see your photo identification before you depart with your child/ren.

If you are no longer able to attend the event, please let us know right away by alerting Brittany Campbell at [email protected] so that we may offer your slots to other interested parties. We have limited space available for this event and would like to welcome as many children and youth as possible.

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Host or Publisher University of Michigan Marsal School of Education