In this bulletin we bring news about two great storytelling competitions to promote to your family audiences. We've also got updates about media plans for the Family Learning Festival and the new country-wide 'google' map of events. Don't forget - keep clicking for more updates on the Family Learning Festival website www.familylearningweek.com

Put learning on the map! For the first time, families will be able to find Festival events through an interactive map. Using google maps technology, the Festival events page will allow families to search for activities by postcode, date and town. Last year, there were over 8000 visits to the search page. In order to get your event on the map, all you have to do is register it on the Family Learning Festival website. The map will go live at the end of July, so start putting your events on now ready to be uploaded!

Family Learning Festival Media Plans

Last year, Family Learning Week attracted some great media coverage and we are hoping to repeat this for this year's Festival. The press coverage for FLW 2007 included 6 pieces in the national print media, 25 pieces in trade media, 381 pieces in the regional and local media and 6 broadcast items. The total circulation/listening figures are estimated at 41,418,700. The media push for this year's Festival is already underway. If you have any success stories from last year - whether from families, individuals or your own organisation - and would be happy to share them, please get in touch with Julia on 020 7766 0013 or jwright@cflearning.org.uk

Telling Tales

The National Year of Reading is on the lookout for the nation's most enthusiastic amateur storytellers.

To highlight that everything starts with reading and it's so important to pass the gift on, the National Year of Reading is putting out a call to mums, dads, grandparents, big brothers and sisters and EVERYBODY else to get hold of their favourite story book, and give it their best shot at telling a tale.

How can families enter?

Easy - storytellers just have to film themselves on their mobile or video camera for 2 minutes or less reading their favourite story book, then upload their clip according to the simple instructions. It doesn't have to be polished or smartly edited, as long as the enthusiasm for storytelling comes across.

As well as entering online, the National Year of Reading will be bringing a storytelling chair to 10 cities across England.

What will they win?

One winner from each region will receive a library of books provided by Harper Collins publishers. The overall winner will receive a family ticket to the UK premiere of Walt Disney Pictures film Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler and Russell Brand which will be released in December.

For more information visit the National Year of Reading's website www.yearofreading.org.uk

How to get in touch

The Family Learning Festival Team is happy to answer any questions you may have about organising a Family Learning Festival event. To get in touch call Jamie on 020 7766 0014 or email: jhwright@cflearning.org.uk

Last few places for the:

Families, Learning and Community Cohesion Conference 10th July - Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham

The next National Family Learning Network conference is looking at the contribution of family learning programmes to community cohesion.The event offers delegates the opportunity to explore local crime prevention initiatives and ways to make communities safer, understand links between family learning and community cohesion in terms of policy and practice, and find out about a range of intiatives including the Early Learning Partnership Project.

For full details and to book you place, please click here. Alternatively, please visit www.campaignforlearning.org.uk and follow links for events.

Step forward Consultancy

Step Forward Consultancy Ltd has worked with a wide range of Family Learning facilitators, nationwide, for over 5 years.

We run exciting, innovative K'NEX sessions that are always well attended, as K'NEX is very popular with children. Our sessions are great for attracting elusive dads into Family Learning. Sessions range from 2-hour tasters using battery motors, to 6-hour science courses using simple computer control.

All our courses link and are mapped to the KS2 + 3 national curriculum and the adult literacy and numeracy core curricula. Adults and children alike find these sessions extremely challenging yet fun!  See www.planetknex.com for further details. 

Calling young Storytellers!

Barefoot Books has launched the Barefoot Books Young Storyteller Competition. The competition aims to help youngsters of all abilities develop their communication, language and performance skills, and to enjoy the process.

Children are invited to tell a story and post their recorded version on to the Barefoot website. Six finalists will be invited to the grand final in December.

Prizes include a £1000 Barefoot library for the winner’s school and a trip for two to New York City for the winner. There are also great prizes for the two runners up!

For more information visit www.barefootbooks.com