Ted Grace Reading Grove to be dedicated at StoryFest III May 21

The Syracuse University Reading and Language Arts Center will participate in the official dedication of the Ted Grace Reading Grove and celebrate the third annual StoryFest on Friday, May 21, at Corcoran High School in Syracuse. StoryFest III is a family event promoting reading, literacy and storytelling, and it has served as one of the primary fundraisers for the Reading Grove. The grove is named in honor of the late Ted Grace, a Corcoran graduate and SU School of Education professor who was an active literacy education advocate and a renowned storyteller.

A group of local residents began planning and raising money in 2006 for the Ted Grace Reading Grove, a seating area and outdoor amphitheater near Furnace Brook on the Corcoran High School campus. The first phase of the project, a performance platform adjacent to the brook, was completed this spring. Members of Grace’s family will unveil the platform and memorial signage at the dedication ceremony.

In addition to the SU Reading and Language Arts Center at the School of Education, the Corcoran Parent-Teacher-Student Organization, Corcoran Alumni Association and Cultural Resource Council have worked on the initiative. Those groups are now beginning work on the next phase of the project—the installation of a roof structure that will complete the amphitheater. Supporters can help raise funds for that effort by purchasing brick pavers, which may be engraved with a personalized message. The pavers will be laid on the platform foundation in a design that complements the adjacent Cougar Outdoor Learning Area and helps unify the themes of learning, literacy and campus pride.

To purchase a brick paver and to see photos of the project to date, visit the Corcoran website, http://weblink.scsd.us/~corcoran/TGRG/TGRG.htm.

The Reading Grove dedication ceremony is at 6 p.m., and StoryFest III begins at 6:30 p.m. on May 21 at Corcoran High School, 919 Glenwood Ave. To purchase tickets or to make a donation toward the construction of the Reading Grove, call (315) 383-4018 or e-mail tedgracereadinggrove@gmail.com.