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Libros Shmibros

CULTURE & ARTS ADVOCACY FOR

CHILDREN'S STORYTELLING HOUR
ACTIVATE
ARTS ADVOCACY PROGRAM

Developed by Arts for LA, this

leadership program trains and
mobilizes arts advocates across 88
municipalities in Los Angeles County.

Through this nine-month program,

ACTIVATE fellows create an action
project to mobilize arts advocacy
initiatives in their local communities.

Learn more:
www.artsforla.org/activate
LIBROS
SCHMIBROS
and C H I L D R E N ' S S T O R Y T E L L I N G H O U R
the

Once a month, Libros Schmibros

Lending Library holds Children's
Storytelling Hour/ Hora de Cuentos
in Boyle Heights. Librarians from
REFORMA Los Angeles are a mainstay,
reading aloud English and Spanish-
language children’s books.

In a neighborhood with 300 kids for

every 1 book, Libros Schmibros uses
‘Children’s Storytelling Hour/La Hora
de Cuentos’ to encourage children’s
bilingual literacy.
LEARN MORE:
WWW.LIBROSSCHMIBROS.ORG
 A ROADMAP TO PRESERVING
CULTURE

Storytelling
Literature
Cultural Exposure

Under-resourced and actively The Children's Storytelling Hour

facing gentrification, families
and children in Boyle Heights
are living in a shifting
environment where their
cultural identity is at stake.
serves as a roadmap to bilingual
preservation, increased literacy,
and greater creative expression
that can preserve the cultural
fabric of the community.
 GOAL

STRENGTHEN
& EXPAND
CHILDREN'S STORYTELLING HOUR
 HOW TO GET THERE

RAISE ACTIVATE DEEPEN

AWARENESS SPACES ENGAGEMENT
develop strategies regularly through with existing
for reaching new creative and cultural community through
students & families programming active participation
 1st Children's Storytelling Hour of 2018

FEB Create short video: bit.ly/feb26csh

Start database of school &
community-serving contacts

Door-knocking & flyer outreach within

MAR
1 mile radius
1st Activation at Libros Schmibros:
Inviting Melrose Poetry Bureau as
guest activators for National Poetry
Month

Evaluate engagement

APR Reached out to writers & illustrators

from LA Times Festival of Books
2nd Activation: Children's illustrator
Ashlyn Anstee's cartoon activity at CSH
 Identified places to reach new

RAISE parents, students, and local residents.

In addition to emails, I walked door-

AWARENESS to-door sharing flyers and sharing

information in person.

View here: bit.ly/maplibsch

ACTIVATE SPACES

NATIONAL
POETRY
MONTH
 ONE THING I NOTICED WAS
THAT IT FELT VERY

WELCOMING
AND GRASSROOTS.

Sophia Rivera
TESTIMONIAL
"One of the things I noticed was how
welcoming the space is. Libros
Schmibros staff came outside to invite
people in to the Children's Storytelling
Hour, or to write a poem. It felt very
welcoming, and very grassroots.

When people walked by and saw the

typewriters, they got excited to be
able to write on them. It gave them
the ability to create something to
keep or leave behind.

The typewriters were also a great

way to get people excited inside. As
soon as they brought them in, I saw
their eyes light up."
 x2 FOUR 16
from first children's Melrose Poetry Bureau elementary
storytelling hour to the typewriters set up & charter schools in
second (Feb- March), outside Libros Boyle Heights
estimate that Schmibros & as part of (i.e. potential
attendance doubled. CSH activity. field trips,
ambassadors)
Video: bit.ly/poetcsh
 ACTIVATE SPACES

DRAW with a
CHILDREN'S
ILLUSTRATOR
ASHLYN
ANSTEE
April 29- Dia de Los Niños

The 2nd Activation of the

Children's Storytelling
Hour featured children's
author/ illustrator of "Are
We There Yeti", Ashlyn
Anstee. In addition to
showing behind-the-
scenes of creating a
book, Anstee facilitated a
drawing activity inspired
by ideas from the crowd.

Engaging participants with watercolor

prints from "Are We There Yeti?"
NEXT STEPS
My recommendation is to ensure creative
and cultural "activators" are a mainstay
of the Children's Storytelling Hour.
There is also an opportunity to deepen
engagement by encouraging ownership
and active participation with returning
members.

One way to engage regular participants

is to encourage ambassadors to leverage
their networks, spread the word on the
program, and more.

Next steps will be to provide Libros

Schmibros a recommended rubric for
engaging with ambassadors and
"activators" for the Children's Stprytelling
Hour.
THANK YOU
for your time!

CAROLINA GAMERO
ACTIVATE FELLOWSHIP
CULTURAL POLICY TRACK