By Susan Wells.
Excerpt from Wildwood Library News: March 20, 2025
I am excited to report on the WW Library collaboration with Amherst College professors Ellen Boucher and Kiara Vigil Indigenous Narratives: Creating Children’s Stories about Native American History. As a part of this project, Amherst College students will explore “the ethics and impact of inclusive representation in children’s media” focusing on “the challenge of teaching young people under-represented histories.” Amherst College students will research and write a book for children on a topic related to Native American history.
Our 4th grade students will be the children’s literature experts who will provide feedback for the Amherst college students on their written stories. This unique opportunity for our 4th grade students to participate in a community building partnership that gives our students the opportunity to act as experts and provide guidance to Amherst students as they explore and write alongside us.
Field Trip Fun!
Our students have already participated in two exciting field trips. On February 27th, we visited Amherst College, where college students led engaging activities inspired by their college reading (The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters). Our students really enjoyed the hands-on activities and lunch!
On March 13th, our students took on the role of docents at the Eric Carle Museum, leading tours of the exhibit Created in Color: The Picture Book Art of Raúl Colón. Students selected two illustrations to share with their College counterparts. We also explored the Art Studio and the Reading Library.
In the coming weeks, our 4th-grade students will continue to act as children’s literature experts, providing feedback to Amherst College students on their written stories. We are grateful for Amherst College’s partnership and generous funding, which make unique collaborations like this possible. By working together, our students gain experience with our Amherst community and its members and see themselves as future students and leaders.