Sanford Middle School Presents Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song™

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 3, 2009
Sanford Middle School Presents Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song™

Minneapolis, MN – Sanford Middle School will host a community celebration honoring four Sanford community elders at the Sanford Middle School auditorium on Thursday, November 19, 2009, 6:00 PM – 7:00 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:

• Rosario De La Torre - A story of woman from Mexico City who fought many barriers to become an advocate for Latino Families and the Director of Casa de Esperanza in St. Paul.
• William Dye Jr. – A story of an African American alumnus of Sanford Middle School who chose to serve his country as a Sergeant in the Marines and later became an anesthesiologist.
• Cleo Mustache – A story of a girl who grew up on the Lac Courte Oreille Reservation in the 1940’s and who has spent her life teaching how important it is to take of yourself and to open your heart to others.
• Said Ahmed – A story of a man from a coastal village of Somalia, who preserved his passion of teaching and writing while on his harrowing journey from his worn torn country to the United States.