The Pinwheel Festival
Broward County Library
Innovation Synopsis
The Pinwheel Festival is a community event designed to raise awareness of child abuse and provide families with resources and information about parenting and child development. Held at Broward County Library’s Davie-Cooper City Branch, the festival is modeled after similar initiatives and adapted to fit the library venue and audience. It featured South Florida organizations that offered information on child development, family support and wellness, as well as a book giveaway, children’s activities, and the event's name and central activity – the planting of pinwheels symbolizing the happy and carefree childhood all children deserve. The library’s branch manager successfully engaged partner participation by joining BrowardAWARE, an existing multi-agency campaign addressing family violence. The library’s Friends group supported the initiative and garnered funding from the Broward County Children’s Services Council.
Challenge/Opportunity
The State of Florida abuse hotline reported 13,899 child abuse reports in Broward County in 2022. Research shows that five protective factors (nurturing and attachment, knowledge of parenting and youth development, parent resilience, social connections, concrete support for parents) reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect by providing parents with the tools needed to parent effectively even under stress.
The Pinwheel Festival addresses this critical need for accessible, community-based resources to prevent child abuse and neglect. The library recognized its potential to become a leader in this initiative by providing a preventative, rather than a reactive, response. The Pinwheel Festival connects families in need and the organizations that can help them, leveraging the library's trusted status as a community hub.
Key Elements of Innovation
The festival’s innovation lies in its unique fusion of traditional library program and civic-minded public health initiative. It transforms the library from a place of passive information access into an active partner in community wellness. The approach is multi-faceted, combining family-friendly entertainment with serious, life-saving information. This model of “edutainment” makes a sensitive topic approachable and reduces the stigma often associated with seeking help. To tie the initiative to National Library Week and the library's mission, approximately 200 books were given away. Participating groups included Bikers Against Child Abuse (with motorcycles for kids to climb/pose on), the Humane Society (with therapy dogs), Feeding South Florida (providing refreshments), and the Peace Leaders Foundation (giving away toys). The Pinwheel Festival demonstrated a new level of inter-agency cooperation within a library setting.
Achieved Outcomes
The Pinwheel Festival successfully engaged an estimated 250-300 people, significantly increasing awareness locally about child abuse prevention. By planting 150 pinwheels, the event created a visible, month-long symbol of the campaign, extending its reach beyond the single day of the festival. This also created a tangible and memorable experience for attendees. The festival helps establish and nurture strong, lasting partnerships between the library and key organizations, including the Children’s Services Council and BrowardAWARE. This has laid the groundwork for future collaborations and helped ensure the program's sustainability, including a 2026 Pinwheel Festival, with new features and services including an ASL interpreter for the children’s shows and a food vendor, Square Bowl, that employs adults with cognitive impairments. Overall, the festival promotes a positive image of the library as a leader in well-being for all ages and a safe, supportive space for families.
