FOLD Kids Book Fest 2024
Virtual Events for Educators
Alone Together: Exploring Loneliness in the Classroom
Tuesday, November 5 - 5:00 pm
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on loneliness and socialization. In this workshop designed for educators, Petti Fong—journalist, educator, and author (Alone Together)—explores the effects of loneliness and provides helpful tools for educators tackling this issue in the classroom.
Fantastical Tales in Pakistan
Tuesday, November 5 - 7:30 pm
In this evening conversation, authors M.T. Khan (Amir and the Jinn Princess) and Emily Varga (For She is Wrath) explore two fantastical Pakistans: one existing parallel to the world of jinn and the other inspires a romantic fantasy retelling of a literary classic, The Count of Monte Cristo. They'll discuss worldbuilding, character motivations and writing for teen and middle grade audiences with moderator Ameema Saeed.
Talking to Students About Disability
Wednesday, November 6 - 5:00 pm
In this workshop designed for educators, disabled author and retired teacher Dorothy Ellen Palmer (The Scooter Twins) provides meaningful tools for discussing disabilities with students and how to teach books featuring disabled characters.
Reimagining Anne: Celebrating 150 years of LM Montgomery
Wednesday, November 6 - 7:30pm
This year marks the 150th birthday of iconic Canadian author of Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery. In this evening event, authors Paul Coccia, Matthew Dawkins and Natasha Deen discuss their reimaginings of Anne Shirley in The ANNEthology with moderator Catherine Little (Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill).
If your school district is listed below you have FREE access to all virtual events.
Peel District, Durham District, Hamilton-Wentworth District, Halton District, Waterloo Region District, Upper Grand District, York Catholic District
Your board will send you the access code or you can email us at kids@thefoldcanada.org to get your code.
Individual clubhouse passes can be purchased for just $25 or school boards can purchase a board-wide pass for all their teachers, extending access to the virtual clubhouse and resources for the entire 2024-2025 school year. Contact us at director@thefoldcanada.org to learn more about obtaining a board-wide pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register my class for the virtual festival?
An educator can register for a virtual pass starting September 25, which will give them access to all virtual events from November 5-7. If your school board has purchased a board pass, you’ll receive a code to register without additional cost for a virtual pass (please email us at kids@thefoldcanada.org if you haven’t gotten a code). Educators registering for a virtual pass will be given the option to create a STUDENT ACCESS LOGIN (SAL) to provide students with access to the Virtual Clubhouse as well. Student Access Logins allow students to login on their own devices with a generic account that’s connected to their educators. SALs limit a student’s reach on the platform for safety and security reasons.
How do I know if my school board has purchased or reserved a block of tickets?
We will list the school boards who have purchased passes on this page and will continue to update it. We recommend checking back in as well as following the FOLD Kids socials and signing up for the kids eNews at thefoldcanada.org/kids.
The following boards have board-wide passes for their teachers:
- Halton District School Board
- Waterloo Region District School Board
- Durham District School Board
- Upper Grand District School Board
- Peel District School Board
- Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
If your board isn’t listed, please contact your board representative and/or check your board message board to see if there are any updates. Email us if you have any questions.
Do I need a Student Access Login (SAL) if I'll be showing the virtual events in class?
If you’re planning to show the events in class, you will not need an SAL, but when you register as an educator who will be showing the events in class, one will automatically be created for you. SALs are helpful if a student is away or if they are planning to watch events on their own device.
How many codes do I get if I don't know how many students I'll have?
Register for the tickets you MIGHT need and adjust your ticket amount once you know your class numbers. If the block of tickets is claimed and you need more tickets later, we will not be able to add more tickets, but if you adjust your tickets later, it’s possible that someone else may be able to use your leftovers.
If I'm interested in one event, do I still need a full pass? Are individual event registrations available?
Unfortunately, access to individual events is not available. However, festival passes are set at a reasonable rate, providing access to just over 20 incredible events and supplemental resources. We’re confident that educators we be able to find several events for you and/or your class to enjoy.
How do I log into the Virtual Clubhouse to view a virtual event?
You can log into the Virtual Clubhouse by going to our website or by visiting foldkids2024.vfairs.com (registration opens September 25). We recommend logging into the Virtual Clubhouse as soon as you register. You’ll be prompted to create a password using your email. Please do this for your SAL as well so that you can share the code and the password with any student who needs it.
How can I watch events on the Virtual Clubhouse?
The Virtual Clubhouse will open on November 1 to give educators time to get themselves acquainted with the space before the virtual festival begins on November 5.
To view events, head to the Auditorium, click the screen and you’ll be led to the schedule. There you can find the bonus events available on November 1 and can click “Play” to view them.
On the day of a live event taking place between November 5-7, you’ll see the “Join” button appear 3 mins before the event’s start time. Events can be found based on the date and time they appear on the schedule.
Completed events appear at the bottom of the date they were live if there are more live events to come. Replay of these events are made available a few hours after they’ve gone live.
If I can't attend the virtual event live, will I be able to access the videos afterward?
All FOLD Kids Book Fest events will be made available virtually within a few hours of being presented live. All videos will be available until December 9 for regular passholders and June 30 for school board passholders.
What security precautions are in place to make sure students are safe online?
The FOLD is taking every precaution to keep all guests safe. SAL’s give students restricted access on the platform. They will never appear on video. While they can pose questions in Zoom, they cannot participate in the chat or on the leaderboard. All questions will be monitored by a designated FOLD team member. Any concerns with student use will result in the suspension of that code and a follow up with the teacher associated with the account.
Our Virtual Safe Space Policy will be posted on the platform and shared with teachers prior to the event. In the unfortunate event that inappropriate behaviour does occur, FOLD staff will act swiftly, in consultation with the teacher and school board.
