Problem Statement
There is a lack of bilingual books for multilingual families in the Kansas City area
Our Solution
YOUth United and Linda Hughes, our community partner, came up with the idea to do a bilingual book drive and fundraise money for Lead to Read KC. Linda Hughes is the Program Manager for Community Outreach at Lead to Read. Our books come from an Amazon wishlist, which we used to generate a QR code that customers could scan to purchase items from. The books were then transported to Notre Dame De Sion High School, where we assembled our collection of books. Our books will be placed in the book baskets where children often wait in the Kansas City area through Lead to Read. In addition to our Amazon wishlist, we have a QR code for our Venmo account, which allows people to continue donating money even if they decide not to purchase books. Hughes will receive the money that we raised from our hot chocolate bar charity event and our ongoing Venmo account so they purchase more bilingual books in bulk.
THE TEAM
Izzy deconinkHi, my name is Izzy DeConink! I am a senior at Sion, and I was interested in the Designing Real World Impacts Class because I love any experiential learning opportunity. I have loved meeting in a professional environment at Burns and McDonnell and taking trips to different businesses and organizations. This class has also helped me build my LinkedIn profile, learn how to network in the community and increase my confidence in communicating with professionals.
My teammates and I focused on helping bridge the language barrier in the Kansas City area. We came up with the idea of hosting a bilingual book drive with our community partner, Linda from Lead to Read KC in order to give the community more access to multilingual literature. Growing up, I loved reading a book with my parents before bed every night. I am passionate about this topic because every child deserves to have an opportunity to read with their family members without a language barrier getting in the way. There have been many ups and downs this semester, but I am most proud of our interview with the news. We reached out to many local news stations, and set up an interview with KMBC 9 news, for a story about our book drive that got aired. This was such an exciting and terrifying opportunity, but it gained a larger audience for our book drive, and I’m so glad I got to experience this. |
Munira MohamedHello, my name is Munira Mohamed and I’m a current senior at Notre Dame de Sion. I chose to enroll in the Designing Real World Impacts course to strengthen my communication skills and connect with my community. This course has given me the opportunity to explore and build relationships with professional leaders, and work on a project that will create a positive impact in my community. I’ve gained a new toolbox filled with skills that I will utilize for my professional career in the future.
When figuring out our problem, the lack of bilingual books weren’t the first to arrive. However, I knew I wanted to help those who struggle with having a voice. I asked myself, “When have you struggled to have a voice?” I remember my times going back to Somalia where my parents grew up, and feeling so ashamed that I wasn’t able to communicate with close relatives. Although I’m not fluent in Somali, I still have a close relationship with my culture. One of the main reasons I’m passionate about this project is to encourage kids to connect with their culture and not lose a part of their identity that is so special. Language is an essential tool that allows the formation of connection and emotion. My goal is for families to connect on a deeper level, and the best way to do this is for them to learn and grow together. After Lead to Read KC expressed their concern about acquiring bilingual books, I knew that this was a problem I wanted to have a positive impact on. I didn’t realize the many voices that were being overlooked and not catered to. My goal is to help those struggling with language, whether it’s English or their foreign language. I’m so proud of my team’s hard work this semester and I know that the work we complete for this project will continue to positively impact multilingual families in the Kansas City area. |
Vikki MuchaiHi, My name is Vikki Muchai. I am currently a senior at Notre Dame De Sion High School. I am in the Designing Real World Impacts class. I enrolled in the class to work with real-world problems and learn about professionalism. This semester-long class has given me skills needed in the professional setting. These skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and organization. I will keep and utilize those skills for the rest of my life and future profession.
The problem my team and I, YOUth United, focused on was the need for bilingual books in the Kansas City area. I knew I wanted to work with children and immigrants from the moment I started deciding what we should focus on. With our project, we found a way to incorporate children and immigrants through books specifically bilingual books. Since immigrant children often face more difficulties with school, I wanted to be an advocate for them. They struggle because, although they are learning English in school, they still speak their native language at home. For kids, managing two languages can be challenging, especially if they want to fit in with other kids. Since I am also an immigrant, I could relate to our project. My desire to fit in was so strong when I first moved to the U.S. I developed this American persona, which makes me feel as though I have lost touch with my Kenyan culture. I appreciate that these bilingual books allow children to continue using their native language while simultaneously learning a new one. With this project, I wish for the books to be repurposed and circulated over time. |