l Centro de los Niños holds a number of events during the year. These work in conjunction with both our regular curriculum and our fund raising efforts.

We hold a Family Carnival each year to celebrate with our families and allow the community at large to enjoy an Open House with us. The Carnival gives us all a chance to get together away from the constraints of the work day week. We have other events at the Center which expand on our regular curriculum. These focus around themes of holidays, festivals and other cultural experiences.

By providing opportunities for sharing and learning about cultural diversity and tolerance for increased intercultural understanding and preservation of cultural tradition, events help us meet three of our program goals:

• Strengthened school-community collaborations
• Increased intercultural understanding and preservation of cultural tradition
• Increased parental involvement and positive intergenerational activity

We encourage families, community, Center Staff and Board involvement in all our events, meeting State Standards for Performance within Special Needs and Natural Environment Learning and culturally competent programs. Business and Personal Sponsorships are welcome for our Special Events.

By learning the simple ways in which we can help our kids thrive, we are making our own lives easier and more joyful, as well as helping our children and our community. Life is not meant to be a struggle. It is a challenge. We can meet this challenge with the help of our extended families and service providers here in our community.