Sanford Middle School Presents Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song™
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Sanford Middle School will host a community celebration honoring four Sanford community elders at the Sanford Middle School auditorium on Thursday, January 20, 2011, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM. The Elder Wisdom, Children’s Song™ community celebration will be hosted by America’s Troubadour, Larry Long, and is free and open to the public.
Long has been working in partnership with the West Metro Education Program (WMEP) to provide the Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song™ process for schools that are members of the WMEP consortium. Recently, Long has been working with students at Sanford Middle School to collectively write songs and gather recitations that honor the life stories of the following community elders:
- Sandy Beltrane – Peace Corps volunteer and retired Minneapolis Public School Educator who now works in the Sanford school office.
- Geneti Kumsa – An Ethiopian pharmacist who immigrated to the United States and now works for Minneapolis Public Schools.
- Murphy Parkhurst – Vietnam War Veteran who grew up in the Red Lake, MN and now a volunteer in the schools.
- Dr. Ralph Peralez – An Organizational Psychologist and storyteller who grew up in Pomey’s Piller, Montana.
After the performance, the community is invited for dinner and conversation with Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson and her leadership team. "Soup with the Supe" downstairs in the cafeteria begins at 6:00pm. Everyone Welcome!
Contact Information:
Larry Long, Executive Director
Community Celebration of Place
612-722-9775
larryl@communitycelebration.org
Vicki Jones, Family Liaison
Sanford Middle School
612-668-4914
liaison0102@yahoo.com
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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 visit www.communitycelebration.org.
Larry Long, called "a true American Troubadour" by author Studs Terkel, has made his life work the celebration of American stories and heroes. In a curriculum called Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song,™ he has brought these heroes to the classroom to share their oral history with our 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. (www.larrylong.org)