EduAsiaNews, Jember – Universitas Jember (UNEJ), through its Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), continues to demonstrate its commitment to preserving local culture from an early age.
In collaboration with the Sekolah Sastra Anak community, FIB UNEJ successfully organized the CERIA Children’s Festival (Stories and Literacy), which was held in conjunction with the launch of a Pandhalungan culture-based children’s storybook entitled Perahu Cahaya Putri Jembersari.
The activity represented a tangible form of research downstreaming and the dissemination of outputs from a research grant program administered by the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of UNEJ. The program was led by Ganesya Hari Murti, S.S., M.Hum., a lecturer in the English Literature Study Program at FIB UNEJ, in collaboration with the Sekolah Sastra Anak community as a strategic partner in designing contextual literacy media for children.
Approximately 30 children aged 5 to 12 participated in the festival.
The first day of the festival featured a variety of interactive and engaging literacy activities. The event began with a read-aloud session led by Veronica, a student of Indonesian Literature at FIB UNEJ, who presented the story “The Legend of Mount Tambo and the Disappearance of Semrani,” one of the main stories featured in the newly launched book.
The children were then encouraged to explore their creativity by making mini zines and coloring activities inspired by Pandhalungan culture. Their creations, along with other expressive drawings and writings, were displayed on the Creative Tree as a medium for appreciating their artistic expression.
Amalia Zulfa, Initiator of the Sekolah Sastra Anak community, highlighted the warmth and sense of togetherness among the participants throughout the festival.
“The CERIA Children’s Festival went smoothly. Although the participants ranged in age from 5 to 12, they were still able to interact, enjoy the activities, and have fun together through the sessions we had designed,” Amalia Zulfa said.
The highlight of the event was the official launch of the children’s storybook Perahu Cahaya Putri Jembersari at the Al Kautsar Education Center, Wirolegi, Jember, on September 6, 2026. The book is divided into four main series—heroes, legends, culinary traditions, and music—designed to introduce the rich cultural heritage of the Tapal Kuda region in a comprehensive yet child-friendly manner.
During the book-launch talk show, UNEJ research team leader Ganesya Hari Murti, S.S., M.Hum., emphasized the important role of children’s literature in shaping the identity of younger generations.
“Children’s literature rooted in local culture plays an important role in strengthening identity while also serving as a contextual learning medium for children,” Ganesya Hari Murti said.
She also encouraged parents to consistently introduce cultural values to their children from an early age.
The creative process behind the book also involved interdisciplinary collaboration, with Nirina Wildania contributing as the visual illustrator and Nadhiva Shafa providing the voice for the audiobook version. The launch event became even more lively with artistic performances by children from the Al Kautsar Education Center, who presented poetry readings and a Pandhalungan wayang performance based on stories from the book.
Through the synergy of academic research, literary works, the arts, and community engagement, UNEJ hopes that the results of university research can generate tangible benefits for the wider community.
Amalia Zulfa added her hope that the reach of the book would continue to expand to different regions.
“We are pleased that the program went well and received a positive response from those who attended. We hope that this book will not stop being read here, but will reach more children and parents and introduce them to local culture, particularly Pandhalungan culture, which forms part of the identity of communities in the Tapal Kuda region,” Amalia concluded.
