The Eagle Rock Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is one of the places in the neighborhood that has numerous programs for children, according to Caitlin Quinn, the Children’s Librarian.
“There are three ongoing programs that take place here consistently,” Quinn said. “Number one being a baby and toddler playtime, which is a weekly program for babies, toddlers and their adult caregivers.”
According to Quinn, this program gives families with children up to the age of 3 an opportunity to engage in self-directed play with age-appropriate toys, books and sometimes music. She said they also have a volunteer program every Saturday morning, called the STAR program — which stands for storytelling and reading — where volunteers read for children and children can get a free book after attending the program three times, Quinn said.
The third ongoing program that the Eagle Rock Library has is a monthly book club, called the Social Justice Book Club, according to Quinn. This virtual program gives participants to check out and read the book of the month, later joining in with children from all over Los Angeles as well as other states to discuss their thoughts regarding it, Quinn said.
According to Quinn, the library also has an event planned for the total solar eclipse on April 8, where children can take a moon-phase flip book with them and document the moon.
“They observe and document the moon at night over a full cycle of the moon’s phases and then they create a moon-phase flip book at home,” Quinn said.
The Eagle Rock Library is not the only place in the area for children to get together for classes and community building.
Mark Arnott of Arnott Kenpo Karate on Colorado Blvd. teaches Kenpo-style Karate classes for children as young as 4 years old, as well as adults.
“We have kindergarten preschool people and, and that program, well, it’s, you know, they’re working with kicks and punches, but really with that age people, the program is much more about how to listen, how to focus, how to work in a group and gross motor skills coordination,” Arnott said.
Samara Caughey, the owner of the art studio Purple Twig on Colorado Blvd. offers art classes for children from the ages 2 to 14. She focuses on the process of practicing art, according to Caughey.
“It’s all based on process art, which means that it’s about the experience and the process of making it and not necessarily about the outcome,” Caughey said.
According to Caughey, with children aged 2 and 3, they also work on teaching them how to use tools, according to Caughey.
“We might give examples, we might teach them how to use tools, especially like at age 2 and 3, we might teach them how to use scissors,” Caughey said. “But if they’re not ready to use them with the right hand or left hand, they might use them with two hands and that’s fine because it’s just about them experiencing the tool and then as they grow and they will learn to use the tool in a more efficient manner. We don’t criticize them for using things or experiencing things in their way.”
The concept of community engagement and support is common in all three places.
“It’s just a free space to explore creative potential,” Quinn said. “Unfortunately, a lot of schools have had to cut their budgets and some of the art and STEM programs and sort of stick to the basics. And a lot of after school programming is pretty costly.”
According to Quinn, the library’s free programs allow children to have a space to express their creativity, as well as for families and communities to feel represented.
“The way of a martial artist is a lot more than being a good fighter. It’s about trying to be a better person all the time,” Arnott said.
Arnott said respect and support for one another is a crucial aspect of his dojo.
“The core of this school for students is respect […] what it all goes to create is a sense of community with the people who are doing it,” Arnott said. “In order to get to black belt, you have to teach, you have to be able to help each other out and that starts right away here.”
According to Caughey, one thing they do in Purple Twig is help children through frustration when it comes to art and creativity.
“It can be very frustrating if things aren’t working out the way you want them,” Caughey said. “And it happens to everyone who makes art, and we help kids move through frustration, which I also think is extremely important to learn as a human being.”
Purple Twig is also a no-phone building, according to Caughey, in order to help with socializing. According to Caughey, this is a benefit for everyone.
“Socializing, especially nowadays, and anything where you’re not on your computer or phone, in real life, I think is always a benefit to anybody,” Caughey said.
According to Arnott, students coaching and teaching other students is another integral part of his dojo.
“I hope to create a culture of coaching for the whole dojo and make that essentially the heart of what people are doing here, which is creating a community based on respect,” Arnott said.
Conact Francine Ghazarian at ghazarian@oxy.edu.
