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The University of Guam Press is hosting a fun and friendly competition with the Mayors' Council of Guam to spark engagement and literacy with the youth in their communities.
Last year, all mayors’ offices were invited to build or decorate a community bookshelf with a free collection of local literature provided by UOG Press. The project will culminate in an island-wide judging competition set to be completed next month during Mes CHamoru.
The judging criteria include how the bookshelf represents a village’s unique identity or demonstrates pride, and how accessible the books are to the community.
Mayors' offices are encouraged to organize activities around the bookshelf that promote cultural literacy, reading, and artistic expression.
"One of the intentions behind the initiative is to give the community access to books they may not see otherwise. Beyond that, the Village Bookshelf competition is an opportunity for each village to create a space where their residents can feel excited and inspired by the stories they read,” said Kiana Brown, Project Manager for UOG Press’s youth empowerment initiatives.
UOG Press will continue to provide support for community activities to all offices hosting a village bookshelf.
The top three winners will win cash prizes and a special workshop for the youth of those villages. The Best Village Bookshelf will receive a cash prize of $500.
“We hope that the books inspire people to tell their own stories, whether through writing or another creative art,” said Brown. UOG Press hopes that this initiative will help more youths connect to local literature and foster conversations about their unique experiences living in Guåhan.
For more information regarding the competition, contact Pedro Blas, UOG Press’s Distributions Manager, at blasp9049@triton.uog.edu or (671) 735-2153.
