Impact

Increased leadership skills, advocacy and awareness, and representation

Write

• Number of books published: 6
  • Bull City YouthBuild:
    • See Unbroken Pieces Through the Shadows (2019)
    • Strong and Unbroken (2018)
    • Blueprints (2017)
  • Juntos NC:
    • The Voices of Our People: Nuestras Verdades (2019)
    • The Roots of Our People: From One World to Another — Juntos (2018)
  • CORRAL Riding Academy:
    • A Leg Up (2020)
• Number of genres: 11 different genres including vignettes, poetry, memoirs, essays, letters and essay letters, collaborative pieces, reflections, blackout poems, autoethnography and interviews
  • Bull City YouthBuild: 6
    • See Unbroken Pieces Through the Shadows: poem, memoir, essay, letter
    • Strong and Unbroken: memoir, poem, essay, collective/collaborative piece
    • Blueprints: essay, reflection, poem, collaborative poem/piece
  • Juntos NC: 7
    • The Voices of Our People: Nuestras Verdades: blackout poem, autoethnography, letter essay, poem, interviews
    • The Roots of Our People: From One World to Another — Juntos: poetry, memoir, vignette, letters, essay
  • CORRAL Riding Academy: 4
    • A Leg Up: essay, interview, poem, blackout poems
• Strengthened writing skills
• Greater command of language
• Increased confidence in writing
• Number of student-written products: 235 and counting!

Engage

• Number of students: 51 and counting!
• Greater student engagement
• Greater perceived emotional safety
• Active social and emotional learning and self-compassion
• Greater connection to peers
• Improved relationships with program staff and teachers

Lead

• Better understanding of peers
• Strengthened advocacy skills
• Greater understanding of community issues and challenges
• Increased critical awareness
• Greater confidence, self-esteem and self-determination
• Strengthened speaking skills
• Programmatic components:
  • Podcast with #PassTheMicYouth
  • Participation in Dessert with Democracy
• 6 LCI instructors
  • 2 Ph.D. candidates
  • 1 M.A. student
  • 1 M.F.A. student
  • 2 BA students
• Number of unique curriculum developed by LCI: 8
  • Bull City YouthBuild: 4
  • Juntos NC: 2
  • CORRAL Riding Academy: 1
  • Overarching Theme Guide: 1
• Number of leadership and community engagement reading events: 11

Audience Testimonials

• “This reading made me feel proud to be a Latino and to hear that there are students expressing their feelings and thoughts for society to hear.
• “Keep writing. Keep working. Keep dreaming. I loved your writing and hope one day everyone will be able to read it. Juntos somos fuertes.”
• “Literacy is a vital necessity for people to function as citizens in the world, locally and beyond.”
• Literacy is crucial to understanding, across the board, many different cultures and societal norms. This understanding brings clarity and coherence within a community.