The Niagara University Bookworms club participated in the annual Walk the World Cultural Fair at Niagara Falls High School on April 18 with a simple goal: to create a space where children could experience culture through reading, language, and creative activities.
The “Read Around the World” section of the event was designed by NU Bookworms to be interactive and welcoming, with three stations that allowed children to engage in different ways. With 12 volunteers running the space, the area stayed busy throughout the event and became a consistent point of interest within the larger fair.
The reading station was the most popular part of the setup. A selection of books featuring diverse voices and global experiences attracted children all day. Younger children often stopped to be read to by NU Bookworms members, while older children, such as middle schoolers, would stay and read independently for nearly 10 minutes at a time. Even in a loud and busy environment, the station became a space where people chose to slow down and spend time with books.
Featured titles included What Is a Refugee?, Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers, Love Makes a Family, Intersectional Allies, The Underground Railroad, Queen of the Falls, Vote for Our Future, Under My Hijab, I Lost My Tooth in Africa, Crouching Tiger, Aloha Everything, and Jingle Dancer. The collection gave children a chance to see different experiences and perspectives reflected in the stories they were reading.
The “Learn a Language” station offered another way to participate. Children could choose from a list of languages, including Spanish, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Irish, Mandarin, Arabic, Italian, Hindi, Russian, Persian, Akan, Swahili, Portuguese, and Tuscarora. They learned how to say a basic greeting in whichever language they picked. It was a simple activity, but it helped make different languages feel more approachable and gave children a small connection to cultures they may not have encountered before.
The craft station provided a quieter space within the event. Children made bookmarks and colored power fist sheets, which tied into the idea that reading can be powerful and that their voices matter. It also gave them a chance to sit down and take a break from the rest of the fair. Altogether, NU Bookworms’ presence at Walk the World highlighted how literacy can extend beyond the classroom. By combining language, storytelling, and creativity, they created an environment where children weren’t just learning about different cultures – they were actively engaging with them. The popularity of the reading station, in particular, showed that even in a lively event setting, children of all ages are still drawn to stories and willing to stay for them.
