USM Reading Festival Inspires Young Minds Through Stories
September 29, 2025
The USM campus came alive during the two-day Reading Festival, welcoming elementary students and families for a celebration of storytelling, creativity, and learning. With live performances, fun activities, and community spirit, the event highlighted the joy and power of reading.
Pond Island, Stories leapt off the page and came to life at the University of St. Martin during the two-day Reading Festival, held on Friday and Saturday. The event, organized through a partnership between Biblionef St. Maarten, the St. Maarten Library, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS), and USM, brought together elementary school students, families, and the wider community for two days of storytelling, creativity, and interactive fun.
USM was transformed into a lively space of storytelling and discovery, where children experienced books through performances, activities, and imagination. The festival welcomed students from elementary schools and members of the general public, filling the campus with excitement and youthful energy.
A highlight of the festival was a captivating theatrical adaptation of “The Night Owl and the Rooster,” performed by students from the Creative Arts for Teachers class of USM’s Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program. The talented cast included Kieva Edwards, Diandra Pikeur-Anderson, Shadira Thomas, Shaundel Glasgow, and Diangeli Arrindell, with Antonia Joseph Phillips as the narrator. Their lively performance brought the beloved story to life, sparking imagination and joy among the young audience.
The festival also featured a storytelling and AI workshop, and a variety of activities such as face painting, games, raffles, and book giveaways. Students from the CAFY program played an important role in supporting the Bachelor program students during Friday’s activities, contributing to the warm and welcoming atmosphere on campus. Among them were Geovani Peynado, who played the iguana in one of the acts, and Melissa Cukier, who helped paint and design the set.
The event also featured other creative highlights, including a Book Dance by Sirgoney Robinson and Antonia Phillips, a cozy Reading Café hosted by Blondel Simon and Yvonne Lazarre, and a lively Puppet Show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by Ariella Bussue and Berlinda Missoudan.
USM thanks all partners, students, volunteers, vendors, and families for making the Reading Festival a success. Events like these highlight the university’s continued commitment to supporting literacy, creativity, and education on the island.
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USM was transformed into a lively space of storytelling and discovery, where children experienced books through performances, activities, and imagination. The festival welcomed students from elementary schools and members of the general public, filling the campus with excitement and youthful energy.
A highlight of the festival was a captivating theatrical adaptation of “The Night Owl and the Rooster,” performed by students from the Creative Arts for Teachers class of USM’s Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program. The talented cast included Kieva Edwards, Diandra Pikeur-Anderson, Shadira Thomas, Shaundel Glasgow, and Diangeli Arrindell, with Antonia Joseph Phillips as the narrator. Their lively performance brought the beloved story to life, sparking imagination and joy among the young audience.
The festival also featured a storytelling and AI workshop, and a variety of activities such as face painting, games, raffles, and book giveaways. Students from the CAFY program played an important role in supporting the Bachelor program students during Friday’s activities, contributing to the warm and welcoming atmosphere on campus. Among them were Geovani Peynado, who played the iguana in one of the acts, and Melissa Cukier, who helped paint and design the set.
The event also featured other creative highlights, including a Book Dance by Sirgoney Robinson and Antonia Phillips, a cozy Reading Café hosted by Blondel Simon and Yvonne Lazarre, and a lively Puppet Show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by Ariella Bussue and Berlinda Missoudan.
USM thanks all partners, students, volunteers, vendors, and families for making the Reading Festival a success. Events like these highlight the university’s continued commitment to supporting literacy, creativity, and education on the island.
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