Congratulations REFORMA 2021 Noche de Cuentos Mini-Grants Winners! Each organization will receive $300 to support their Noche de Cuentos programs during Latino Heritage Month.

The Fairfield Lane Library / Celeste Swanson – Fairfield, OH

Hispanic Heritage Festival and Expo at the Fairfield Lane Library

Our Hispanic Heritage Festival and Expo will be an event for the entire family, showcasing the rich diversity within our community and the invaluable contributions of the Latin-American peoples, while we foster unity and the embracing of diverse cultures. We would use the grant money towards securing the performance of the Father/Daughter Mariachi Duo, El Alacrán de Durango y la Alacrancita. We understand the value of their performance lies in showcasing and celebrating the rich Mexican traditions of Storytelling through song, as well as Folkloric dance and costume.

Santa Clarita Public Library / Morgan Lazo – Santa Clarita, CA

Calaveras Literarias

The library will be working with the wonderful Dr. Gloria Arjona who will be bringing her Calaveras Literarias program to the Santa Clarita Public Library. In addition to the music, storytelling, and education about Día de Muertos that Dr. Arjona and her band will be providing, the library will provide fun craft kits celebrating Día de Muertos. The smaller children will have printed sugar skull masks that they can color in, and the older attendees will receive a kit to sew a lovely felt version of the sugar skulls. We will also provide a continuation of our very popular Cositas Ricas kit from last year’s Latin American Heritage month that offered safely pre-packaged snacks to try from various Latin-American countries. This kit will focus on snacks that come from Mexico and other countries with Día de Muertos traditions. The program will be in a park in order for the patrons to enjoy time outdoors with familia on a Sunday afternoon.

Bibliotequita Colibri / Argelia Ramirez – San Diego, CA

Noche de Cuentos de Animalitos y Monstruos

San Diego-Tijuana, singer/songwriter Anibal Mendez will perform songs by South American children’s music artists which can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Audience will engage in this interactive performance and with the music through choreography and singalong. The literacy component includes two stories aligned with the theme of the music, Animalitos y Monstruos, with stories that also originate in South America. This all-Spanish event will take place at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park as part of the new Bibliotequita Colibri programming, and also as our first in-person event ever.

Tulare Public Library / Carol Lovos – Tulare, CA

Noche de Cuentos with Liz Mangual

Liz Mangual is a bilingual storyteller who loves to perform in schools, libraries, community centers, and festivals across the country. One of her greatest joys is to travel from community to community meeting people of all cultures and sharing her love of stories. Tulare Public LIbrary was able to host a Noche de Cuentos with Liz virtually last year and are excited to offer an in-person Noche de Cuentos this fall. This event will be one of many celebratory programs in Tulare Public Library’s Hispanic Heritage Month: Cuentos y Comunidad.

REFORMA thanks the 2021 Noche de Cuentos Mini-Grants Selection Committee:

• Celia Avila De Santiago, Senior Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library, Public Relations Committee Co-Chair 2019-2022
  
• Maria F. Estrella, Chair of REFORMA’s Children’s and Young Adult Services Committee (CAYASC), Cleveland Public Library
  
• Laura Ishizaka, Senior Librarian of Community Services, Long Beach Public Library, REFORMA Los Angeles PR Team Member, JCLC 2022 Conference PR & Marketing Committee Member
  
• Sujei Lugo, Children’s Librarian, Boston Public Library
  
• Alma Plasencia, Adult Services Librarian, Salem Public Library (OR)
  
• Alma Ramos-McDermott, Media Specialist, Lake Trafford Elementary School, Immokalee, Florida, REFORMA National Secretary 2020-22, Former Chair REFORMA de Florida Vision 2020 Task Force, ALA Presidential Advisory Committee for Patty Wong 2021-22, 2007 Spectrum Scholar

The program coordinator is Madeline Peña, Digital Content Manager, Los Angeles Public Library, REFORMA President 2018-19, REFORMA Technology Committee Co-Chair, JCLC 2022 Steering Committee.

REFORMA believes that storytelling and oral traditions are key to the transmission and preservation of culture, as well as a significant tool in developing literacy skills. Noche de Cuentos was launched in 2010 to promote and preserve the art of storytelling within our Latino communities in the U.S.

If you would like to support future Noche de Cuentos Mini-Grants, consider making a donation to REFORMA at reforma.org/donate.

¡Felicidades a los ganadores!