2022 TALK STORY GRANT AVAILABLE

Applications being accepted for American Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander programs

How do you engage with and celebrate American Indian, Asian, and/or Pacific Islander peoples and cultures in your library or community organization? The American Indian Library Association (AILA) and the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) are accepting applications for the 'Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture' grant 2022.

Talk Story is a literacy program that celebrates American Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander families' stories through books, storytelling, and art. Going on its thirteenth cycle, AILA and APALA are partnering on this Talk Story grant program to allocate funding to libraries and community organizations to implement intergenerational literacy programming. Two grant winners for each organization, a total of four winners, will receive $500 each to fund a program that meets the criteria of the grant. Planned programs can be in-person or virtual.

"Cultural sharing is a valued custom in Asian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian cultures," said Amy Breslin, Co-Chair of the Talk Story grant. "This grant allows the opportunity for celebrating our history and traditions and building partnerships in our communities."

Past grant winners have included language programs, early childhood literacy, intergenerational  identity development, and various arts programming including dance, music, and writing. "There is a lot of room for creativity in this grant," said Angela Thornton, Co-Chair of the Talk Story program. "We want people to explore partnerships in their communities and see what they can create."

Applications are due by Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 11:59pm AoE. Eligibility details and past winners can be found at www.apalaweb.org/talkstorytogether/grant/.  Please use the online form to fill out and submit your proposal: https://tinyurl.com/talkstorywebform2022.

For more information, please contact:

Program Overview

Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture is a literacy program that reaches out to Asian  American / Pacific Islander (AAPI) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children and their families. The program celebrates and explores Asian American / Pacific Islander (AAPI) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) stories through books, oral traditions, and art to provide an interactive, enriching experience. Children and their families can connect to rich cultural activities through Talk Story in their homes, libraries, and communities. This grant is aimed to give financial support to libraries and community organizations who want to introduce a Talk Story program, focusing on AAPI or AIAN cultures.

Panda bear and Grizzly bear reading book together. Text reads: Talk Story sharing stories, sharing culture.

 

Cathy Lancaster

Youth Services Coordinator

Library of Michigan
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, MI 48915
My Pronouns: She/Her/Hers - See www.mypronouns.org to learn more.

LancasterC5@michigan.gov | 517-335-8129 | www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan
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