sharing original art from BIRDThis year I have worked with two wonderful organizations that help bring authors and illustrators into the classroom to share the book making process with children.
Learning Leaders‘ mission is to help New York City public school students succeed by training volunteers to provide individualized instructional support and other school-based support, and by equipping parents to foster their children’s education development.
Authors Read Aloud, spearheaded by the lovely Susie Mee, features authors and illustrators of children’s books who volunteer to visit the same classroom four times a year to read from their own books or works-in-progress. The volunteers engage the children (1st to 6th grades) in discussions about the books and the creative writing process and turn young minds on to the excitement of reading and writing.
Behind the Book, run by the amazing Jo Umans, is a literary arts nonprofit that promotes literacy and a reading culture among low-income students in New York City public schools. Our mission is to excite children and young adults about reading. Behind the Book not only provides the opportunity for children and artists to meet, this organization also
buys a book for every child in the classroom!!
The joy of working directly with your audience is hearing feedback about “the work” and directly inspiring future artists, writers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, veterinarians, orators, and world leaders to dream big!
*Tribute scrolls made from poems led by Zetta Elliott. Each poem was crafted in the honor of a loved one, living or deceased. Illustrations were based on student generated reference, mounted on wooden dowels and hung withgolden string.
