9:51am | Do you remember a teacher who made a difference in your life? An educator that made you look forward to class? Or a mentor that helped you overcome hurdles in your education?
From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, the Catalyst Network of Communities at 430 E. 1st Street is giving Long Beach the opportunity to appreciate, celebrate, and honor teachers along with the literacy they promote day after day, year after year.
Catalyst member and mother of two Jewell Faamaligi created “Learning Without Limits” from a desire to illuminate the outstanding contributions of teachers and the importance of literacy for all ages. “I wanted this event to start a dialogue about literacy in our community and support the value of teachers,” Faamaligi said. “Reading changed my life. We read all the time but most of us take it for granted. Learning Without Limits is meant to not only begin a conversation about reading, but highlight books as valuable resources that we cherish. We all have books that are gathering dust on shelves that we are never going to re-read. We keep them because they inspired us, and we loved the experience of discovering that knowledge. This is an opportunity to pass on that inspiration to someone else. Books shouldn’t be unread and shouldn’t be thrown in the trash or tossed in landfills. They were meant to be shared.” To promote the accessibility of literacy and foster a community of sharing resources, the event will feature a Book Swap. “People should bring a book that had a profound impact on their life to the swap,” Faamaligi said. “In exchange, they can browse others’ books and be able to take home a new title or re-discover one of their favorite books.”
All ages are encouraged to participate in making Teacher Appreciation Cards to mail or deliver to their teachers. To encourage more people to read, participants also can create bookmarks that will be donated to new readers. Catalyst volunteers will staff tables with art supplies. An open mic will be available for individuals who want to share stories about their positive experiences with teachers, reading and other topics related to education.
In addition, people can sign up to learn more about a new Literacy Collaborative starting in Long Beach. “Promoting literacy and reducing waste by re-using items such as books are causes that always need attention,” Faamaligi said. “We’re looking forward to the Long Beach community celebrating education as we start a new school year.”