Storytime and Play Factsheet

Introduction
Story Time and Play (STP) Pacific Children’s Media program is an innovative media and early childhood development initiative conceptualized and led by Plan International Australia and supported by the New Zealand International Development Cooperation Programme

STP’s goal is to create vibrant local children’s media and play hubs that promote inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all girls and boys in the Pacific.

From 2021 - 2022, Phase 1 of the STP pilot was successfully delivered in the Pacific countries of Niue, Samoa and Solomon Islands where it was able to co-create locally led children’s media content, broadcast the media content and implement Play Hubs in these three countries, while also socialising the project with stakeholders. 

Building on the success of Phase 1, in 2023, the teams began Phase 2 with an aim to build an innovative, sustainable regional children’s media environment that promotes and strengthens cultural identity by celebrating Indigenous language and culture and contributing to more inclusive communities. 

Overview of the Children's TV show
Plan International, along with our dedicated project partners and the communities we serve, recognises the STP project as an important milestone. STP is a cultural turning point in the continued effort to celebrate, enhance and preserve culture, language and knowledge across the Pacific. With support from our donors, Plan International in partnership with, Pasifika TV, Big hART, Save the Children and other partners, works to create a Pacific children’s media hub that celebrates indigenous languages, cultures, stories and learning. The hub facilitates mentorship and collaboration between experts from children’s media and ECD with local media and ECD groups, and fosters local ownership and shared governance. 

Story Time and Play! Is being developed with the goal to be an exciting new TV audio visual series for pre-school to primary school aged children (aged 4-7 years) to engage them in learning about place, culture and the wider world. Plan International has identified a media partner and an ECE partner to implement Playhubs in each of the three target countries. BighART is the Children’s Media mentoring lead who, in partnership with Plan International, will work closely with media teams in each of the three target countries to produce a 10 episode TV series for children.

Country Snapshots

Niue 

• Niue has been part of the Storytime and Play Children’s Media Project since 2021, alongside Samoa and the Solomon Islands. Local partners include Rocksteady, the Department of Education, Niue Primary School, Niue Early Childhood Centre, Angela Tuhipa (PLAN Coordinator),Niue Community Youth Groups and the Cultural Officer for Taoga Niue. This initiative empowers educators and youth while celebrating Niue’s cultural heritage.
• Youth groups from across Niue—Alofi South, Tamakautoga, Avatele, Hakupu, Lakepa, Mutalau, Tuapa, Makefu, and Alofi North—have been actively involved in scripting and producing educational videos. Their contributions ensure the content reflects Niuean culture while fostering leadership and creativity. Through this project, Niue demonstrates its commitment to quality education, cultural preservation, and youth engagement in regional development initiatives. 

Samoa

• Local partners include Samoa GEM, National Council for Early Childhood Education (NCECE Samoa) with the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture (MESC) playing an advisory role through its position on the NCECE Council Board, Gardenia Elisaia  (PLAN STP National Coordinator)
• The Project with guidance provided by NCECE selected 10 playhubs (one playhub per pre-school from around the country) to work with from Phase 1 and through to Phase 2.  The play hubs were run by 10 women play hub facilitators and their support teams made up of varying numbers of assistant teachers/teacher aides, and worked with a total of 20 students per play hub (200 in total) as well as groups of parents and/or caregivers (5-15 parents per play hub).  The play hub facilitators were either School Principals or Senior teachers from each of these pre-schools and they underwent a series of training with a Play hub/ECE specialist provided by Plan International Australia (PIA). 
• The play hubs were equipped with a variety of techniques, materials and resources used to support facilitators and parents in their engagement with the young children.
• Under Phase 1, an audio (for radio) series was created, based on two traditional stories but broken up into a number of episodes (total of 12 episodes). This extended phase has now supported the development of the first locally produced 'target specific' children’s TV show in Samoa, catering for children between the ages of 3 to 6 years of age (pre-school ages).
• The stories shared in the episodes are adapted from traditional stories that were selected and workshopped with 10 ECE Facilitators, the NCECE President and administrators and the SamoaGEM production team. 
• Each story from STP Samoa focus on traditional stories, or myths and legends that have been adapted and simplified to be age appropriate, considering the target audience in the early childhood education level. The stories have been passed down through the years and revolve around Samoa's environment, culture, customs and norms and its people, each story ingrained with a moral teaching and providing historical insights and life lessons.

Solomon Islands

• Local partners include Dreamcast Theatre, Save the Children Solomon Islands, Ministry of Education & Human Resource Development and Clera Manuri (PLAN Coordinator). This initiative supported the development of the first ever children’s TV show in Solomon Islands, capturing traditional stories from 9 provinces led by Dreamcast Theatre and its artist collective. Under Phase 1, a radio series was produced and playhubs were held with a variety of resources produced to support facilitators and parents and engage children.
• The background music, song and dance sequences, backdrops, art etc were all developed and choreographed by the Dreamcast collective of 60 artists in Solomon Islands. Each episode originates from each of the 9 provinces in the Solomon Islands. Known as Kastom stories, they are traditional stories that celebrate moral lessons in specific cultural settings. 
• Some are origin stories of places that exist today, others are legends and myths that are held in high regard, and all are a testament to the diverse storytelling and multi-cultural oral tradition of the Solomon Islands. These stories are the backbone of intergenerational bonding, shared by grandparents to an eager audience of impatiently waiting grandchildren.
• Play hubs in Solomon Islands have been implemented by 6 facilitators (3 female 3 male) supporting roll out of 13 play hub sessions across 3 community Play hubs with 90 children (48 females and 42 males). 165 parents and caregivers (106 female 59 male) were engaged through play hub activities and home visits. 

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