Earlier this week I had the privilege of witnessing the 2nd magic moment of Heritage Making.  The amazing 6th grade class that I have been working with at a local parochial school saw the books they created for the first time!

Mrs. Foster received 20 5×7 storybooks in the mail last Friday.  She took a peek in the shipping box and was amazed by the cacophony of bright colors and graphics on the spines of the storybooks nestled inside.  She called me and asked if I was available for the “unveiling” on Wednesday.  She wanted her creative students to see the finished project that they had so lovingly worked on for the past 6 weeks.

The students were allowed to write about anything they wanted to.  We had everything from a story about a favorite show dog to a grandma with breast cancer, to a hand-illustrated poetry book.  One girl wrote a tribute to her father that had died, and my favorite was a story of family – and a heartfelt thanks to parents for ‘buying food for us and taking care of us”.

Heritage Makers is the platform for the amazing studio the students worked in to create their books.  I set each child up with their own password-protected account and with minimal help from me, they figured out how to upload their photos, type in their text, and enhance their creations with colorful papers, letters and embellishments.  They were able to work on their projects, then save them until they had time to work again.  Their photos are archived in their accounts, and they can access their projects any time they would like to modify their books or print a second copy.

I arrived at school with 2 dozen brightly decorated cupcakes and my camera in my pocket.  The class buzzed with excitement as I entered the room (they saw the Cash Wise bag in my hand). As their teacher called them to the front of the room to get their book, you could feel anticipation in the air.  Each student took their masterpiece, wrapped in a cardboard folder with the inscription “Every story deserves a book of it’s own – here’s yours”.  They slipped back into their desks and sat quietly waiting for permission to dig in.  “Go ahead, take a look.”  They quickly slipped off the bright orange dust covers and eagerly turned the first page and examined every pixel of print.  The room was quiet while they read their stories.

After a few moments, Mrs. Foster said “go ahead – get up and share them with their friends”.  It was so much fun to watch them scurrying about and checking out everyone elses project.  They read their friend’s books, laughed at the photos, and complimented each other for their creativity.  It was truly another magic moment just watching the excitement in that room.

Next week they are having a publishing party.  I am not going to be able to be there and I am sad about that.  It will be so much fun for them to share these treasures with their families and friends.  They have learned a lot.  About writing, about editing, about proof-reading, and about life.  They have learned how important it is to capture those special moments so they are not lost forever.  They have learned about sharing stories and laughs.  And I am fortunate to have learned from them.

To set up your own personalized Heritage Makers account, contact me or visit www.celebrationstorybooks.com.

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