Hiawatha Elementary School Presents Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hiawatha Elementary School Presents Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song™
Minneapolis, MN – Hiawatha Elementary School will host a community celebration honoring three Hiawatha community elders at the Hiawatha Elementary School gymnasium on Friday, March 11, 2011 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM. The Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song™ community celebration will be hosted by America’s Troubadour, Larry Long, and is free and open to the public.
Long has been working in partnership with the West Metro Education Program (WMEP) to provide the Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song™ process for schools that are members of the WMEP consortium. Recently, Long has been working with students at Hiawatha Elementary School to collectively write songs and gather recitations that honor the life stories of the following community elders:
- Kathy Strong: A Senior volunteer who doesn’t let arthritis keep her down, she can be seen scooting around Hiawatha Elementary School working with children.
- Mario Galindo: The Physical Education teacher at Hiawatha Elementary and Hennepin County Juvenile Corrections Officer.
- Banlang Phommmasouvanh: A Laotian refugee, who has made a successful career in ESL in Minneapolis and is currently teaching at Hiawatha Elementary.
Contact Information:
Larry Long, Executive Director
Community Celebration of Place
3357 – 36th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-722-9775
larryl@communitycelebration.org
Principal Deb Regnier
Hiawatha Elementary School
4201 42nd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-668-4610
Debbie.Regnier@mpls.k12.mn.us
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Larry Long, called "a true American Troubadour" by author Studs Terkel, has made his life work the celebration of American stories and heroes. In a curriculum called Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song™, he has brought these heroes to the classroom to share their oral history with our younger generation. A Smithsonian Folkways recording artist, Larry has sung at major festivals, concerts and events throughout the U.S. and internationally. Long is a recipient of the prestigious Bush Artists Fellowship, the Pope John XXIII Award and In The Spirit of Crazy Horse Award for his work in forgotten communities. (www.larrylong.org)
Founded out of demand for Long’s work across the country, Community Celebration of Place is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that uses oral history, music and art to strengthen communities and foster reconciliation. For more information visit www.communitycelebration.org.
The West Metro Education Program (WMEP) School District was formed in 1989 to cooperatively address integration issues in the west metro area. The mission of WMEP is to build the collective capacity of its members; to raise the achievement of all students; to eliminate the racial achievement gap; and to prepare all learners to thrive in a diverse world through regional leadership, integrated learning opportunities, shared resources, and mutual support.
Member districts of WMEP are: Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Richfield, Robbinsdale, St. Anthony/New Brighton, St, Louis Park, and Wayzata. (wmep.k12.mn.us)