Adorable children in pajamas from Discovery Center for Little Scholars Early Head Start/Head Start paraded through the corridors of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) to have their bags filled with candy and snacks on Wednesday, Oct. 31 during their annual Pajama Party Parade Fall Festival.
Administrators and staff at the ESLC, SIU School of Dental Medicine, SIUE WE CARE Clinic and SIUE Police greeted the preschoolers.
“During our annual Fall Festival Parade, our students were able to dress up in their favorite pajamas. Our students received sweets and treats,” said Heidi Eichenseer, Discovery Center for Little Scholars coordinator. “The children also enjoyed Halloween stories and engaged in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) pumpkin activity.”
Prior to trick or treating, Gina Jeffries, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School director, shared fall-themed stories with the preschoolers. In part, her participation was to promote the National Head Start’s Principals Month.
Following the parade, Rebecca Harper, SIUE East 
St. Louis Learning Resource Center (LRC) director, and LaAris Crumer, LRC operations associate, conducted a STEM experiment. The children learned new vocabulary words such as experiment, chemicals and prediction. They also watched a chemical reaction with yeast, dish soap and hydrogen peroxide that made a jack-o-lantern’s face foam. want to thank everyone who helped make our Pajama Party Parade a memorable experience!” said Eichenseer. “We were excited to see such camaraderie and generosity on the campus for our children.”
Photos: Preschoolers from SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Discovery Center for Little Scholars went trick or treating throughout across the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus on Wednesday, Oct. 31.
