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Open World Learning Community to Host EWCS Celebration

May 17, 2015

St. Paul, MN – June 5, 2015 – Open World Learning Community (OWL) will host an Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song celebration honoring four community elders in their auditorium on Friday, June 5, 2015, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.

This Elder Wisdom, Children’s Song™ celebration is brought to you by Open World Learning Community (OWL) and St. Paul Public Schools in partnership with Community Celebration of Place. Larry Long, Smithsonian Folkways Recording Artist and creator of Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song has been working with 7th Grade Students from Open World Learning Community to collectively write songs that honor the life stories of the following community elders:

  • Bridget Martin: Bridget Martin is a long time resident of the West Side of St. Paul and a retired Open School theater teacher. Martin was born in London, England. She’s called many places home, including the countries of Malawi and Spain. Since living on the West Side, she’s been an active member of the community, participating in the PTA and WESTCO.
  • Gilbert De la O: Gilbert De la O’s migrant-worker parents, originally from Texas, were among the earliest Mexican-Americans to settle the poor river flats of St. Paul. De la O is a graduate of Humboldt High School, and has stayed active in the West Side community, helping found the West Side Booster Club and serving as the Executive Director of the Neighborhood House.
  • Youa Vang: Youa Vang has been a resident of the United States since 1990. She was born and raised in Laos, a small country in Southeast Asia. After fleeing her home in 1978 in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, she spent time in Thailand, France, and French Guyana before settling with family in St. Paul. She currently lives in the East Side of St. Paul.
  • Melvin Giles: Melvin Giles is a veteran peace and diversity educator. His current work includes facilitating a 3-year citywide peace campaign – The Peace Pole and Peace Message Campaign. Giles was the 2003 recipient of the Martin Luther King “Dream Keeper” Award. He was honored as one of eleven McKnight Award winners and currently serves as an adjunct faculty instructor for Bethel University.

Open World Learning Community’s EWCS celebration will feature 7th Grade Students from Dan Sullivan and Nora Krings’ class that have been engaged in case studies on Community.

Contact Information:


Larry Long, Executive Director
Community Celebration of Place
​3357 – 36th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN  55406
Office phone: 612-722-9775
larrylong@communitycelebration.org

Dave Gundale, Principal

Open World Learning Community
640 Humboldt Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55107
School phone: 651-293-8670
dave.gundale@spps.org


Larry Long, called "a true American Troubadour" by author Studs Terkel, has made his life work the celebration of American stories. In a curriculum called Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song™, he has brought elders, long established and newly arrived, into the classroom to share their life story with the 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. Please visit: 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: www.communitycelebration.org

Open World Learning Community (OWL): A community of joyful, curious, self-directed learners engaged in the world. Please visit: www.open.spps.org

Address: 640 Humboldt Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55107

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We can not do this work without you.

Testimonials

My heartfelt thanks to Larry Long and all the voices from which our history continues to generate encouragement, enthusiasm and wisdom.

Arlo Guthrie, Songwriter, Son of Woody Guthrie

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