Margaret’s House organizes reading event to celebrate diversity, promote family-friendly activities on campus to foster ‘more vibrant RIT community’

Just like fingerprints, everyone is different. It’s one of the messages in “Happy in our Skin,” a picture book about the beauty and uniqueness of differences in everyone, and something similar that Jennifer Tills hopes to showcase during an event Margaret’s House is hosting this year to help connect the childcare center and others within the Rochester Institute of Technology community.

The inaugural event will be held 10 a.m. Sept. 16 at Student Innovation Hall for what Tills calls Tiger Tales. The activity is scheduled once a month, and aims to promote diversity, compassion and acceptance within the youth community, starting with students up to age 5 serviced by the childcare center at RIT. It also intends to bring people together and promote other initiatives across campus, with help from the K-12 University Center.

“This features diversity, and also focuses on acceptance and compassion,” said Tills, director of Margaret’s House. “Instead of talking about diversity and inclusion in a direct and controversial way, it can be a supportive process people can benefit from.”

During the summer, a soft opening of the program was established to “expose children to literature that present people of different cultures in a positive light, and celebrating their diversity is one simple first step to creating better citizens and a just society,” Tills said.

Following the tradition of story hour with children at Margaret’s House, Tiger Tales will feature readings of three books with special guests, in addition to activities such as songs, arts and crafts, and more. Literature includes picture books such as “A Handful of Buttons,” “It’s OK to be Different,” “We are all Connected” and “We’re Better Together.”

The first guest reader will include Associate Vice President of Student Development Shelitha Williams.

“Understanding other people is the foundation of diversity,” Tills said. “It’s also the foundation for social and emotional skills, so I’m hopeful to have that kind of flow to the story time with a culminating craft activity.”

The story hour also welcomes parents from the childcare center who may find community within each other at the same time their child is exposed to age-appropriate books that celebrate diversity, compassion and acceptance. A “side effect” of the event, Tills added, would also allow other RIT families to attend the event and learn about other opportunities on campus that support an inclusive, family-friendly environment and build connections on campus to “create a more vibrant RIT community,” which include campaigns within RIT K-12.

The K-12 center creates transformative opportunities for youth and educators in science, technology, engineering, art and math, with a mission to inspire, engage and prepare the next generation of STEAM innovators, by fostering collaborations among the university and community to provide high-quality education and workforce development experiences that will shape the changemakers and problem-solvers of the future. This comes with a commitment to recognize strength in differences, and remove barriers to access and support pathways to success.

Some K-12 initiatives include:

• Administration of grant-funded programs such as the Army Educational Outreach Program Apprenticeships and Fellowships, Liberty Partnerships Program, and Science and Technology Entry Program
• Camp Tiger, the area’s largest and longest-operating summer camp experience for youth in third- through 12th- grades
• Houses RIT’s Office of Youth Protection and Compliance
• Kids on Campus that oversees nontraditional, interactive campus experiences for schools, youth organizations and other groups
• Partnership with Rochester Prep High School founded more than 10 years ago