The
Loudoun County Public Library has earned a 2106 Achievement Award in the Children and Youth Category from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for “Journeys of my life / Viajes de mi Vida.” The program was a collaboration between the Loudoun County Public Library and
Loudoun County Public Schools that celebrated literacy, creativity, and heritage.
The project blended the themes of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ “Latino Americans: 500 Years of History” grant awarded to the Loudoun County Public Library, and the Loudoun County Public Schools’ “One to-the World” initiative, which asks students to address a problem, create a product, and connect with the world.
Working in teams with public and school librarians, and teachers from the Art, English, and English Language Learning departments, more than 80 Park View High School students created 17 bilingual picture books under the guidance of award-winning author and illustrator John Parra, who is pictured above with the students.
The books have been delivered to Biblioteca Luz, a children’s library in La Libertad, El Salvador by El Salvador’s ambassador to the United States. The books also are on the shelves of branches of the Loudoun County Public Library as well as the preschool at Park View High School.
The NACo Achievement Awards Program recognizes groundbreaking programs and initiatives in 21 service categories, including children and youth, county administration and management, libraries, emergency management and response, and human services.
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