A Storysack contains books, story telling props and a game.

“Storysacks in PEI”
a Great Success

“Storysacks in PEI” is an Alliance project to develop a province-wide implementation strategy for Storysacks. Storysacks are a valuable resource for introducing and encouraging literacy in young children and their parents in PEI.

The PEI Literacy Alliance:

• developed a province-wide implementation strategy to ensure the availability of Storysacks across the province
• created and demonstrated ten Storysacks
• trained librarians in the use of Storysacks
• distributed Storysacks to ten libraries

We received support letters for the project from the Provincial Library Service, Department of Education, Women’s Institute, Early Childhood Development Association and PEI Corrections.

Pictured here are Ron MacMillan of Community and Cultural Affairs, Chester Gillan, Minister of Education, Catherine O’Bryan, Executive Director of the PEILA and, in front, Allan Groen, Provincial Librarian, demonstrating some of the components of Pigs Ahoy.

The Alliance hired Linda MacDougall and Christine Weatherbie to staff the project. As a result of workshops delivered by Christine and Linda, other groups produced eleven Storysacks. Of special note are three Storysacks constructed by inmates at the Provincial Correctional Centre.

The PEI Literacy Alliance project staff demonstrated and raised awareness of the important role that parents and caregivers fill as the first teachers of their children. The Alliance donated the ten Storysacks the staff made to the PEI Library Service. They can be borrowed from libraries across the Island. There is widespread support for the Storysack initiative and we are confident that Storysack-making is here to stay.