Metamorphasis Powerhouse Company together with BK International Education Consultancy are the proud recipients of the United Way DeKalb SPARK Prize for a uniquely new school readiness program where preschool children, their families, and Early Childhood providers learn side-by-side! During our learning experiences, students and their families enjoy a virtual storytime followed by a customized STEM activity that brings the story alive, and inspires the child to go beyond the pages and the pictures, while developing a love of reading for pleasure. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to record themselves reading from our culturally diverse book wishlist! Your amazing read-alouds will help us scale access to this program for all counties statewide, and create an Online Storytime Bank of Books being read-aloud that can be used by families and Early Childhood Providers to pair with our STEM learning experiences for home and school based on each story. HOW TO CREATE YOUR VIDEO [Zoom Recording] Create Zoom Account {free} or Log Into Your Zoom AccountUpload our Transform The SPARK Virtual Background in settingsTurn on “record to device” in settings. This will automatically download your video to your computer Choose a quiet & clean area indoors to film. Limit all distractions that could impact audio or visual quality. · Film using a smartphone or digital video camera on a steady surface.· Film horizontally.· Speak clearly.· Practice reading your book aloud until you feel confident with your words.Begin recording on Zoom (make sure you are using our Transform The SPARK Virtual Background)· Start by introducing yourself: “Hi, my name is (your name), and I’m here to read (book title) on behalf of the Transform The SPARK program. This book is written by (author)” and illustrated by (illustrator).· Smile!· Get into character by using fun voices, props & costumes.· Show the pictures in the book as you are reading.Pause, engage with the audience and ask questions to help spur children to think about the story, characters, and/or pictures. Ask things like “What do you think will happen next?” or “What do you see happening on this page?”What is (insert character’s name) doing right here?Emphasize any repeating words or patterns and call out vocabulary words that may be new to a toddler, emerging Preschooler or kindergartner when appropriate· Be sure to read at a pace in which the audience can follow along.· Review your video to ensure your face & the book can be seen clearly, audio quality is good, and there are no visual distractions.· Submit the video as a .mp4 video file Zoom recording via email at volunteer@metincpowerco.org.It is required that the video be no longer than 10 minutes. Please contact volunteer@metincpowerco.org subject line “TTS Storytime Video” for support including instructions on how to convert a video file to a shareable .mp4 video file.These videos will be compiled as a YouTube series and playlist with Metamorphasis Powerhouse Company and BK International Education Consultancy and shared in our customized Transform The SPARK Google Classroom with our program participants. By participating, you agree to our media policy. Transform The SPARK Zoom Virtual BackgroundRECOMMENDED READINGReaders should choose books appropriate for ages 0-5. Visit Diverse Book Finder for recommendations to help us curate diverse and equitable learning experiences to support strong learners. Questions? Contact volunteer@metincpowerco.org