This seems like a great idea. Let's do it.

[Earl Scime]

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	Potential MARS Partnering with MPLS
Resent-From:	earl....@mail.wvu.edu
Date:	Fri, 8 May 2020 11:43:24 -0400 (EDT)
From:	Janet C. Nurkiewicz <jcn...@comcast.net>
Reply-To:	Janet C. Nurkiewicz <jcn...@comcast.net>
To:	Earl Scime <earl....@mail.wvu.edu>

Good morning Earl, I hope you are well!  Although "well" is a relative term with all that is going on!  It's been different that's for sure! 

I am emailing because we, the Morgantown Public Library staff, have been working on redesigning the Summer Reading Program for past few weeks to a more online/virtual approach.  As part of the redesign we're going to do a One Book/One Community project.  The book we've chosen is The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.  Here is a brief description:

Can a robot survive in the wilderness?
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one day the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.

I have the series (2 books) on order from Amazon and am willing to share once I've had a chance to read them.  So, what does this have to do with MARS.  Possibly nothing because you can say no to what we are proposing, I hope you don't.  

We would like to partner with MARS to create one (or more) virtual programs in conjunction with the book.  What could this program be?  Here are some of my thoughts, but I know if we do work with the students of MARS, what they come up with will be SO MUCH MORE than I could ever imagine.

It could be:

1.  Design a robot contest - MARS picks the winner(s) with various age groups represented

2.  Find "Marvin" place different versions of Marvin through out downtown businesses for example) have Charlie stamp Marvin on a small piece of leather and attach it to one of his products in the store, put a MARS t-shirt up in the t-shirt store downtown, place a Marvin pillow (I have Gwen's) in Pinnochio's - you want it to be challenging but not impossible to find the Marvins.  Maybe 10 locations???  The kids take pictures of the Marvins they find, send to the library and win prizes

3. Create a scavenger hunt (link to one GOTR did:  https://www.gotrncwv.org/photo-scavenger-hunt)  or create a treasure hunt with clues

Anyway, these are just off the cuff - needless to say I have some free time to think about these things.  

So 1) you can say no we don't really have time for this and that is perfectly fine.  2)  you can propose to the team and see what they think and what they come up with (still can be a no answer) 3) we move forward with one or more ideas from MARS - remembering it needs to be virtual or at least capable of social distancing.  

Finally, we don't need any financial contribution from MARS but if you wanted to donate a Lego item or something robot related, we wouldn't say no :-) - as a give away.

Let me know what you think and we'll go from there!

Thank you!

Janet