Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1491904
The Carrying Stories exhibit was on display at the Fresno County Fair when a woman burst into tears while perusing the pieces. One of the creations reminded the woman of the story of her mother 's immigration from Mexico as a young girl, and she offered to purchase the artwork. Here is an excerpt of that story, " Teresa" by student Natalia Galicia: students Lift Voices, Connect and Inspire Teacher Marina Santos with Natalia Galicia in 2021. their stories, it made them feel heard, seen and important," she says. "e whole project is a metamorphosis." Parent ea Fabian loves Carrying Stories. e mother of a student who participated in the project, Fabian says the work steps into the space of the power of personal relevance and com- munity engagement. "It also responds to our need to make school much more than preparing students' traditional academic metrics and really teaching them how valuable their own life experiences truly are," she says. "For me, this helps us reach the deeper levels of what it means to actively work toward social justice and anti-racism in school spaces." Patterson is pleased to be a part of the program and help stu- dents share their voices and experiences. Students work on their butterfly designs. "When people wanted to read students' stories, it made them feel heard, seen and important. The whole project is a metamorphosis." —Marina Santos 28 cta.org Feature