“Who will carry on this story when I’m gone?” – Slava Bryn, Elder
In school year 2013-2014, Larry Long initiated the creation and publishing of twelve story-song books through Community Celebration of Place in partnership with the West Metro Education Program and Minneapolis Public Schools. These books, written and illustrated by youth, honor the cultural diversity of our region through the inspirational life stories of community elders. The books are integrated into the yearly curriculum of area schools and made available FREE online at communitycelebration.org.
This year, as Young Publishers expands across the region, the focus is on Honoring Men of Color. Art instructors and youth can draw from seventy-eight first person narratives and songs already written through Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song, or new narratives gathered this year, to create literature that meets multiple reading levels and organized by The Lexile® Framework for Reading. Our goal is to create a regional body of student-based literature to celebrate the many faces of our region.
WMEP is funding the production of these books with a regional team of teachers, organizations, and other partners. This opportunity is open to any site in Minneapolis and the west metro community who wish to participate.