Spring Institute for Youth Services 2024 Special Events

Wednesday Welcome Reception

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Hackley Public Library
316 W Webster Avenue, Muskegon

Are you arriving in Muskegon on Wednesday night? Take a short stroll over to the beautiful Hackley Public Library for a welcome reception from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Explore the historic space, network with colleagues, and have some fun! Light refreshments will be provided.

Hackley Public Library is located only 2 blocks (0.2 miles) from the convention center. No transportation is provided, but you may drive and park at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church next to the library if you don’t want to walk.

Field Trip to Storyville

Thursday, March 7, 2024
5:30 - 7:15 PM
Transportation from VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center provided

Following the afternoon keynote on Thursday, hop on the SI Neighborhood Trolley for a quick field trip to two branches of the Muskegon Area District Library to explore their Storyvilles. Storyvilles are early literacy, child-sized villages where children ages 0-5 and their caregivers can let their imaginations run wild! Each village helps children have fun while preparing for kindergarten by focusing on playing, reading, singing, talking, and writing. Enjoy reading on the front porch in the Muskegon Heights Branch Neighborhood Storyville and explore the Hines Baby Garden at Olthoff Bay at the Norton Shores Branch. View Storyville flyer (PDF)

Trivia with Matt Eickhoff

Friday, March 8, 2024
12:30 - 1:45 PM
Ballroom BC

Friday’s lunch will feature some friendly competition with a table versus table interactive trivia challenge hosted by Matt Eickhoff of Here’s Your Host Trivia.

Spring Institute Gives Back

This year Spring Institute has decided to partner with Kids Food Basket. This West Michigan organization provides healthy meals to thousands of children every week. A representative of Kids Food Basket will join us on Thursday to discuss the work of the organization. We will be decorating bags for the meals and assembling sack supper packs on Friday before delivering them to their headquarters.

Interested in helping? Here’s how:

• Bring some sack supper ingredients with you to Spring Institute! We will be assembling these on Friday. A list of what they need can be found at this printable PDF link.
• Donate a monetary contribution at the Spring Institute registration desk.
• Decorate a lunch bag on Thursday with fun and inspiring messages.
• Buy an event T-shirt. Proceeds will buy additional supplies to benefit Kids Food Basket

Kids Food Basket Sack Supper Packing

Friday, March 8, 2024
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Ballroom BC

For thousands of children in West Michigan, a Sack Supper ensures they have increased access to healthy food each day! We can help Kids Food Basket supply the contents of these meals by creating Supper Packs of the shelf stable items that go in each pack. Get a chance to spend time and network with other Spring Institute attendees while assembling these packs. MLA will supply the content, and will deliver the sacks to the Kids Food Basket office following this “session”. Kids Food Basket volunteers will add a fresh vegetable and fruit in a decorated bag to turn the Supper Pack into a Sack Supper that is ready to be delivered to a child’s school!

T-Shirt Fundraiser

Show your SI pride by buying an event T-shirt at registration. Proceeds from the sale will be used to help buy supplies for Kids Food Basket sack supper packs that we will be assembling and donating to the organization on Friday. Shirts will be available for pick-up at the registration desk.

The last day to order shirts is February 2, 2024.

If you have already registered for the conference, but would like to purchase a t-shirt, please contact us at [email protected] or (517) 394-2774.

Share Fair

Thursday, March 7, 2024
10:15 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday, March 8, 2024
8:00 AM – 2:15 PM

Visit the exhibit hall to see the projects and ideas your colleagues have chosen to share! Posters on display will include:

TAG your Teens In!
Heather Thompson, Herrick District Library
Learn about a fun, easy way to encourage teen patron engagement, and walk away with resources you can put into practice.

Better Together: The Public Library & the Nature Center
Jennifer Sunderhaus, Shelby Township Library
Get program inspiration for kids, families, tweens and teens by working with your local nature center.

Boom Boom Revolution
Laura Puckett, Van Buren District Library
Build a movement and musical literacy program for all ages with boomwhackers and other musical instruments!

Books for Babies!
Beth Pierson, White Lake Community Library
Books for Babies is a brand-new program to promote the joy of reading to the littlest patrons ages 0 - 3 and their caregivers!

It's a Beautiful Day for Dramatic Play
Emily Brush, Novi Public Library
Learn how to offer young children opportunities to practice early literacy and social skills through dramatic play on any budget.

New Ways Manistee County Library Created Community Collabs
Angie Fischer, Manistee County Library
How we've created successful and beneficial collaborations with business owners to bring in more family-oriented events.

Brilliant Braille
Jocelyn Levin, Lyon Township Public Library
See how our library partnered with a community member to incorporate braille education into a special storytime.

Wear a Cardigan on Friday

Mr. Rogers loved a quality cardigan and so do we! Wear your favorite and most beautiful cardigan sweater on Friday to show your love of Spring Institute and this library wardrobe staple.