The popular free after school youth program for students in grades 3-8 at Dog Ears Bookstore will resume on Feb. 4 and run through June 12. Three different days of programming are offered by grade group. Tuesdays feature programs for students in grades 3 and 4, Wednesdays are targeted towards students in grades 5 and 6, and Thursdays are reserved for students in grades 7 and 8. Depending on numbers, there will be an opportunity for children to attend all three days.

All sessions are held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and are limited to 20 students per day. Sessions are taught by literacy specialists and New York State Certified English Language Arts teachers. All class materials are provided, along with a small snack.

A nonprofit community bookstore, Dog Ears is located at 688 Abbott Road, Buffalo, near Mercy Hospital. Sessions are held upstairs of the bookstore (enter through the front entrance). Adults do not need to attend with their child but must be mindful of drop-off and pick-up times. Parents are welcome to wait for their children in the café, which will be open for food and beverage purchases.

Pre-registration is required and youth are expected to attend each week. Parents can sign up their children by calling the bookstore at 823-2665. When signing up, please make sure to indicate which day your child will be attending.

The free after school program is made possible through funding from Erie County Youth Services, M&T Bank and Christopher Scanlon’s office.

Dog Ears Bookstore will focus on the state of Alabama during part six of its multi-state Around America educational adventure. Designed for seniors, the program will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Dog Ears, a nonprofit community bookstore located at 688 Abbott Road, Buffalo.

Participants will engage in discussions, guided readings, storytelling and sharing, presentations and more as they travel the country without leaving Western New York!

Around America explores the United States, one state at a time, highlighting each state’s history, geography, culture and the written word. Multiple states and distinguished authors will be discussed during the series, including Alaska (John Krakauer), South Dakota (John Neihardt), Alabama (Richie Jean Jackson), Illinois (Ernest Hemingway, Abraham Lincoln), California (John Steinbeck), Missouri (Mark Twain, Langston Hughes, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Maya Angelou, Jerry Pinkney), Hawaii (George Gray, Robert Craig), Texas (Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry) and Oregon (Beverly Cleary, Cheryl Strayed, Chuck Palahniuk).

Participants will engage in discussions, guided readings, storytelling and sharing, presentations and more as they travel the country without leaving Western New York!

For five of the programs, local artists will provide a lesson and project that corresponds with an aspect of the state culture. Mediums will include glass, sculpture, paint, textiles and more. Participants will be able to take their artworks home with them.

Sessions take place on the second floor of Dog Ears, and the café will be open for individuals who may want to purchase refreshments.

For more information or to register for the Jan. 22 event, please visit the bookstore or call (716) 823-2665. 

A new six-week session of the Writers’ Workshop for adults is slated at Dog Ears Bookstore & Café, 688 Abbott Road, Buffalo. Classes will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. beginning Thursday, Jan. 9.

All participants will present current writing efforts that will be gently critiqued. Light refreshments are included, and the cost is $75 for all six meetings. Workshops will continue on Jan. 16, 23 and 30, and Feb. 6 and 13.                         

To register for the Writers’ Workshop, please call the bookstore at 823-2665 or email John Schreier at jmarkschrei@aol.com.