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G2S Project Code: 2018-WI-80881
State: Wisconsin
Fiscal Year: 2018
Grantee
L.E. PHILLIPS MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Samantha Carpenter
Director Phone: 715-839-5007
Director Email: samc@eauclaire.lib.wi.us
General Information
Title: Connect and Create: My Culture, Your Culture, Our Culture
State Project Code: M8-206
Start Date: 07/01/2018
End Date: 12/31/2018
Abstract: This project was a collaboration between L.E.Phillips Memorial Public Library and the Eau Claire Area School District who worked to increase community awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures through the writings and presentations of award-winning author, Mitali Perkins.

Activities began with a Culture Quest program at the public library to showcase Perkins’ books and explore other diverse cultures, issues, and books. Two weeks later, Mitali Perkins presented to students at North High School, led a writing workshop for 5th through 12th graders at the public library, and participated in a "Meet the School Authors" book signing event at Memorial High School. As part of the grant, books by Perkins were donated to the schools who hosted presentations by the author, and a larger collection of Perkins’ titles were purchased as a shared resource between the Eau Claire Area School District and L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.

State Goal: Youth and Inclusive Services Development
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$6,336.13
$0.00
$1,825.60
$8,161.73
Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Mitali Perkins Author Talk and Writing Workshop
Narrative:

L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library collaborated with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival's Authors in the Schools program(https://www.cvbookfest.org/authors-in-the-schools/) to increase community access to an award-winning author of diverse books. Mitali Perkins gave three school presentations during the festival. Ms. Perkins was born in India and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was eleven. She is the author of numerous books (such as "Rickshaw Girl" and "Bamboo People") for teens and younger readers that explore different cultures and diverse relationships.

Ms. Perkin's visit included 1) a writing workshop at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 2) a visit to North High School, and 3) an opportunity for students to attend a book signing event. The writing workshop was also available to students who could not take advantage of Ms. Perkin's visits to our public schools. A book club was held before the meeting for attendees and their families to help prepare for Ms. Perkin's visit as well as encourage valuable community conversations about diversity.    
Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 60
Number of sessions in program: 3
Average number in attendance per session: 45
Number of times program administered: 1


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: 6-12 years
13-17 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: Yes
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: Yes
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Eau Claire Area School District (Memorial High School)
Address: 500 Main Street
City: Eau Claire
State: WI
Zip: 54701
Name: Memorial High School
Address: 2225 Keith St
City: Eau Claire
State: WI
Zip: 54701
Name: North High School
Address: 1801 Piedmont
City: Eau Claire
State: WI
Zip: 54703
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Activity Details
Title: Acquiring Book Club Materials to Prepare for Author Visit
Narrative: Book club materials were purchased for Mitali Perkin's author visit. 
Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Physical


Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 72
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: 6-12 years
13-17 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: Yes
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: Yes
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: Yes
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Eau Claire Area School District
Address: 500 Main Street
City: Eau Claire
State: WI
Zip: 54701
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
The writing workshop at L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library drew 31 students and 6 adults from area public schools, charter schools, and homeschool programs, many of whom do not regularly have access to this type of program. Students were visibly excited about what they learned, and several of them brought their families to the book signing event at Memorial High School later that day. Homeschool families went out of their way to thank staff for thinking so intentionally of their population and its needs. The afternoon time and location of the event were specifically geared toward making the program accessible to multiple educational models, and it was apparent that participants felt seen and heard and were grateful to be included. Perkins’ school visits were uniformly described as excellent. She used warmth and humor to describe her background as an immigrant and the trials she faced adapting to a new culture. Many students individually sought out her books after her presentations. Teachers also used the book collections purchased through the grant in class and for small group reading projects. One school librarian held a writing contest to determine who could attend the writing workshop and then had those students bring back what they learned to their peers. Approximately 60 students and community members attended the Meet the School Authors book sale to hear an inspirational question and answer session with Perkins and other children’s authors, as well as buy books and get them autographed. High school students from Memorial’s Teen Literacy Initiative set up and ran the book sale as one of their club events, and the club will use the proceeds from the sale to support future literacy events. Some of these same students volunteered at the Culture Quest program. As a result of this grant, approximately 142 children and adults heard Mitali Perkins speak and immersed themselves in diverse books, activities, and ideas. They were buoyed by the books Perkins writes and the stories she tells of her life and writing journey. Meeting an author in person is inspirational, the kind of experience that makes dreams seem possible and motivates reluctant readers to read and unconfident writers to write. Area teachers and librarians will be able to continue to support their reading and writing efforts with the shared resource purchased with the grant. Additionally, the students and families who celebrated the importance of diversity in books and communities through hands-on activities at Culture Quest asked important questions about equity and engaged in relevant community conversation. One student, who was very impressed with the diverse book tasting, BreakoutEDU activity, and community art project at Culture Quest , wondered why Homecoming was promoted so much more heavily during announcements than Culture Quest at his school that week. His observation was so worth talking about; this is how cultural awareness begins. For those who couldn't attend events, we hope our promotional materials (posters, facebook posts, bookmarks, emails, etc.) enhanced awareness of and interest in diverse books and the possibility of future opportunities at our public schools and libraries. By holding events at both public schools and the public library, we were able to reach a wider audience, including public school students and teachers, community members, charter school students, and homeschool families. Our collaboration strengthened relationships and the prospect of future collaborations. It also fostered even more partnerships than orginally intended: We partnered with two students from the North High School forensics team who read an excerpt from Perkins’ work at Culture Quest; we borrowed BreakoutEDU kits from two elementary school librarians and then shared the diversity-themed clues we wrote with them in return; and we partnered with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival on publicity and invoicing.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Collaborative programs between public schools and libraries benefit from multiple points of view, increased creativity, expanded audience, and the ability to share both costs and resources. For example, the BreakoutEDU clues, community art project, and diverse book tasting developed for Culture Quest can be used at any time as a passive program by either the public library or school libraries. The way we developed partnerships can be a model for future programming as well. A huge potential exists for resource sharing, but our experience is that it happens most effectively through strong existing relationships. For example, we are very likely to share future original BreakoutEDU clues with the elementary school librarians who shared their kits with us. This kind of resource sharing is good for budgets and good for the planet.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Publicity and marketing of events is critical to success, and it is important to use personal contacts, social media, newsletters, posters, wall displays and broadcast media such as local newspapers, radio, television and local magazines. Take advantage of partnerships to enhance getting the word out to the widest possible audience. It paid off that we were organized. Face-to-face meeting time is limited for partners in different buildings. Our clear division of labor and responsibilities was really helpful, as was our timeline for when things needed to be accomplished. It is also very helpful to use existing programs and tie activities to them, or springboard off other community events. We used the existing Authors in the Schools program and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival to facilitate organization, cost sharing, and marketing efforts. Pooling resources increased partnerships and ensured more of the local community was invested in our events. Finally, we recognized that students want to be activists these days. We found ways to include students in the planning and presentation of Culture Quest and the book signing event. Students were excited to help promote literacy and diversity in our community. Recognizing their interests and giving them a voice builds relationships. Tapping into their energy and giving them ownership in big projects and big ideas is a rewarding learning expereince for everyone.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
No
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: connect and create