September 09, 2023

Quote of the Week

"When you are finally up on the moon, looking back at the earth, all these differences and nationalistic traits are pretty well going to blend and you are going to get a concept that maybe this is really one world and why the hell can we not live together like decent people" -- Frank Borman

Learning To Work With Others

Enjoy this 7-min video of former US President Bill Clinton describing why hearing other poeple's stories matters; how he was raised in an 'oral culture' with little gadgetry influence and how his family's dinner table conversations growing up were a practice in storytelling, listening and observing and paying attention to others. More so, in teh context of a highly interdependent, plural planet how do we gather information from these stories and synthesize learnings for our many paths forward whether as families, as individuals, as neighborhoods, communities, leaders in private and public spheres. Watch here.

Reading Corner

Name of the book: Last Stop on Market Street
By: Matt de la Peña (Author) and Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Ages: 5 and above

"Last Stop on Market Street is a stunning contribution to the legacy and future of book art and storytelling for children...In words and pictures, it embraces substantive diversity in children’s literature, diversity that not only helps us see ourselves and one another, but that also asks that we make our world anew.

On a Sunday after church, CJ and his Nana begin their weekly journey across town on a public bus, eventually disembarking at the last stop on Market Street, where they walk down a broken-down street with broken-down buildings until they reach their destination: a soup kitchen. Along the way, they encounter an array of people, including the bus driver, a blind man, a woman holding a jar of butterflies, teens plugged in to their iPods, and a guitar player.

Sitting inside the bus, watching as others travel by car, bicycle, and skateboard, CJ questions the differences he notices between his own life and the lives of others. As she answers him, Nana demonstrates thoughtfulness and regard for variation in the natural world and in our flawed but beautiful human communities."

-- By Social Justice Books

Be the Change

Six-sided self potrait Invite kids at home or those around you to try this art exercise from Whitney Museum. It allows makers to explore their own existence from multiple view points - the many stories that rest in each of us and those around us. Consider this a start to help children embrace diverse values in the world around them. Enjoy also the mini-tutorial that comes along this exercise.