Lewisburg, Pa.Jillian Flynn ’22’s experience with children’s musical theatre goes back to her first on-stage performance at age 5. So it was only natural that she would choose to work with kids for her Presidential Fellowship at Bucknell, helping local prekindergarten children learn about the environment through music.
What She Does
Each week during the academic year, Flynn visits Sunflower Child Care Center to lead 4- and 5-year-olds in singing about sustainability and nature. Songs include Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” as well as ditties about recycling and tunes that incorporate American Sign Language. Flynn also leads the kids in nature-focused craft projects and on nature walks through Bucknell’s golf course. And during a typical April, the theatre and psychology major produces an Earth Day performance in the Natalie Davis Rooke Recital Hall, where the children sing for teachers and parents. Now, she anticipates reconnecting with the students as soon as it’s safe.
What She Learned
Flynn says her work at Sunflower has shown her the power of music as a learning tool, especially about environmental education. “Kids are little sponges, and I think this is a great time in their lives to learn about the importance of nature and sustainability,” says Flynn, who hails from Mahopac, N.Y. “These are the people who are going to change the world someday. Using music to encourage environmental awareness as early as possible is really powerful.”
— Brooke Thames