I remember the day last May when I had just finished the outline of Shellebrate. Not only could I visualize the actual book I immediately had images of kids, teenagers, adults, parents, teachers, families from all over the world reading and connecting with the words, the images, and of course the multiple layers of story you find within the book itself. The list of possibilities for Shellebrate was so long…I could imagine multiple volumes, a water color activity book, stickers, reading guides, and events. I could see the book in classrooms, in hospitals, on coffee tables, in libraries, and of course in the hands of humans all over the world. At some point in the last few months I stopped imaging. It might have been at the realization that Amazon is actually taking over the whole world…or maybe I stopped imaging after the millions of calls with printing companies and yet I still haven’t found a good fit. I think somewhere in the midst of the land of logistics I forgot about the importance of creating space to imagine.
About a month ago I had another dream where I could very clearly see myself sharing Shellebrate with a group of people. Since that first dream, I have had a very similar dream a few times now.. In every dream I am holding Shellebrate and I am sharing it with teenagers. Sometimes it appears I am in a classroom of sorts, a couple times it has been larger groups of teenagers, and few times it was with teenagers in juvenile delinquent facilities. In the dream I begin with sharing a bit about my own story, how when I was a teenager I was often reminded that I was not good enough…I struggled with school, I struggled with teachers, I struggled with knowing who I was aside from the long record that followed me and labeled me and told me that I was a product of ‘bad” behavior and how life began to shift when I recognized that I was not created to be a burden in this world, I was created to be “Shellebrated” and to “Shellebrate” others.
Shellebrate is so much more than just a children’s book. Shellebrate has and will continue to be a catalyst to knowing that no matter who you are, where you are from, how old you you are, you matter in this world. It has become very clear that the first print of 500 copies of Shellebrate is simply the beginning of the impact that this book will have. Along with the Shellebrate website getting a little refresher I wanted to give you the insider perspective on the simplifications and ask that you continue to imagine with me.
SHELLEBRATE SCHOOL
Since the launch of the Shellebrate Campaign there has been an option to donate a copy of Shellebrate to a Title 1 school. At the beginning of February I got the opportunity to go to Pomerado Elementary where Heather (my sister) is a teacher and not only deliver a few copies of Shellebrate, I was invited to read as well! I don’t know if there is anything sweeter than getting to hear a group of sweet Kindergartners all say “namaste” and get equally excited as I do about the sting ray page. To date, there have been 64 copies that will have been/or will be given to Title 1 school through out the US. So far I have four readings in March and five in April and have more in the works.
Just imagine The Giving Gifts has identified 300 Schools (220 in the US and 80 globally) that are primarily serving refugee kiddos, ESL kiddos, families of all different orientations, backgrounds, Nuerotypical & Neurodivergent kiddos alike. Imagine these 300 schools having a copy of a Shellebrate, a book that will allow students to engage, learn, connect, and be reminded that they are SO important in this world. The cost to fund a book in a classroom, with a curriculum guide & coloring sheet is $15
SHELLEBRATE NICU
A few weeks ago Emily, a good friend of mine here in Ensenada, reached out and shared “Project Cameron Story” with me. Project Cameron Story is an organization that is focused on getting books to families in the NICU. Emily was quick to fund five copies that have all been given to families. After learning a bit more about Project Cameron Story (you already know I did my research!) and why they are doing what they are doing, I realized that NICU units are a place where families often experience uncertainty…check out one of their reasons on why they believe books are important…
“When you have a baby born prematurely at 24 weeks, no one celebrates this….It is a scary and intimidating time. No one sends you flowers or buys you baby gifts. When a baby is so tiny and fragile and on a ventilator or some other breathing apparatus, people don’t send you congratulatory cards. They send you “thinking of you” cards. It’s not their fault…people don’t know what to do. What could a baby that size possibly need? …and …. what if the very worst happens? when a parent walks into the NICU to see their baby (sometimes for the first time), there in the isolette, with the baby is a brand new children’s book. It is a way to say, “regardless of size, gestational age, or prognosis – we celebrate your baby. We celebrate their life.”
Just imagine, the book that is referenced is Shellebrate! We are going to try something a little new and exciting for the month of March. You can fund a copy of Shellebrate for a family in the NICU for $15!
When you support Shellebrate you are supporting young people
If there is one thing I have learned over the past year it is to pay attention to dreams, especially the ones that you wake up to and vividly recall. In the works are the plans to engage with different groups of teenagers using Shellebrate as a tool and resource. I am going to be sharing a lot more about what this will look like over the next few months. Discover: Story is an interactive program for teenagers to hear a personal story, to get to interact with Shellebrate, and to begin identifying how they can use their own gifts & story in this world.
Just imagine one teenager in the world right now….maybe thats your child, maybe thats one of your students, maybe its a teenager in a different country, maybe you’ve met them, maybe you haven’t. As you imagine this teenager, try to remember what it was like to be this age (maybe that was recently or maybe awhile ago). I personally believe that teenagers are so often misunderstood and undervalued. There are 1.3 billion teenagers in the world right now…thats 16% of the population. The Giving Gifts is focused on creating resources and tools that will support young people in identifying their gifts, navigating how to use their gifts, and sharing their story. Discover: Story is using Shellebrate as a catalyst to do so and will be serving young people in the US as well as globally.
After the cost of the book + shipping the revenue from Shellebrate goes directly to the overhead for The Giving Gifts to develop Discover:story. If you want to support Discover:Story you can continue to fund Shellebrate or you can give directly to The Giving Gifts.
