Pan Dau Art to Published Art 2007 Oscar Neale Fellowship Project Kao Lee Lor-Her, Lee Vang, Amber Garbe

Context  English Language Learner (ELL) specialists at Madison Elementary  Serving newly arrived Hmong refugees  Approximately 70?/450 students are ELL  Hmong culture is traditionally an oral culture

What is Pan Dau Art to Published Art? Uprooted from their traditions and lifestyles, many Hmong families have reported that they have little time to share traditional folklore. By honoring the rich stories of the culture, families will see how storytelling and literacy are connected. This project creates the opportunity for families to record a story of personal or cultural significance and thus create a bilingual book.

Pan Dau Art to Published Art  The name of the project, Pan Dau Art to Published Art, originates from the strong oral tradition of the Hmong culture, complemented by the breathtaking needle point art of the Pan Dau story clothes.

Origin of the Project  Our goal is to find innovative ways to reach families learning to speak and read English together  We have tried giving the families books and time to engage in literacy activities on the computer But something was missing!!!

What was missing? 1. Culturally-Relevant Literature 2. Parent Capital Pan Dau Art to Published Art Integrate Hmong Culture -Strong in oral story telling -Many folktales and fables -Rich history in need of being recorded

The Neale Spirit  The project follows the life-long mission of Oscar W. Neale of bringing art appreciation to rural communities. By parallel, at Madison School, we are working to create a larger presence and awareness of multicultural literature within the many levels of community membership.

Steps to Publishing Bilingual Books  Recruiting Families  Recording and Translating Stories  Illustrating Session  Publishing  Release Party  Sharing the literature with the whole student body at Madison Elementary and several selected local businesses

Pictures of the Process

“Moral Support”

Impact on Community  Increase the knowledge of the rich oral history of the Hmong culture across Central Wisconsin  Increase the accessibility of culturally-relevant children’s books

Impact on Teachers (Project Coordinators)  Research and experiment with innovative ways to engage families learning English in authentic, relevant literacy activities.  Provide culturally relevant books in language arts curriculum: folktales; tall tales; etc.

Impact on UWSP Students  Increase their awareness of the diversity in schools and the importance of infusing multicultural literature to prepare themselves to meet the needs of all students within the increasingly diverse United States classrooms.

Impact on “Published” Families  Families will have more culturally- relevant literature accessible.  Families will see how storytelling and literacy are connected.  Families will have a sense of ownership in their children’s learning

Impact on Madison Student Body  Become aware of the rich Hmong history which in turn will lead to a level of honor and respect for diversity across the student body

Thank You  Thank you for giving us the chance to try innovative strategies to meet the needs of our students and families. Any other ideas?