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 The
50th annual Peach Blossom Festival of Oral Interpretation will be held
on April 3 and April 4 at California State University, Fresno.
About 6,000 children representing nearly 200 elementary schools in the
San Joaquin Valley will participate in this year’s festival, which is
hosted by the Department of Communication. The purpose of the Peach
Blossom Festival is to expose children to oral interpretations and allow
them to have a positive experience at Fresno State.
The festival has grown tremendously since it began 50 years ago and now
attracts schools from as far north as Livingston and as far south as
Delano.
With the guidance of festival director Linda Cooley, who teaches in the
Communication Department, Fresno State students plan each aspect of the
two-day event.
“Every year students return to work on the festival because they truly
care about the youth in our community,” said Cooley. “To me that is a
testament to their commitment to this festival – and honestly it is a
testament to their character.”
The Fresno State students receive three units of college credit for
helping, but Cooley said that most participate because they enjoy the
process and believe in the festival’s mission to encourage young people
to gain knowledge and appreciation of literature through oral
interpretation and performance.
The festival also gives participants the opportunity to visit a
university campus early on in their education.
For more information, visit the Peach Blossom Web page at
www.peachblossom.net or call 559.278.4419.
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