b'T TR RO OP PE ER RN L 0 2 A U N N A 1 R 2 4 E V I T R A A T N V 1 R A I E 4 2 0 2 A R A N N U A LByEvan Barker,Southeast Regional ManagerTN, KY, WV, VA, NC, and SC2021 has been a dynamic andstrong year-over-year retentionthe year, these teachers have exciting year for Narrative 4 (N4)and deep connections with theseexperimented with the storyin the upper South. Buildingnew partners as they customizeexchange, teaching a brand upon N4s past work in NashvilleN4s programs to bolster theirnew novel, and puttingand Eastern Kentucky, weve ex- communities strengths. empathy into action withplored new horizons with schoolsAn equally important andcommunity-engagementin very diverse urban and ruralexciting project is the Apeirogonprojects led by students.areas.pilot program, centered on Ken- In the coming year, we expect N4 partnered with Metrotucky schools from Owensboroto build and strengthen ourByJahi Mackey,Nashville Public Schools andto Greenup and everywhere innetwork in the region in order Partners for Education at Bereabetween. We handpicked a groupto bridge the urban-rural divide. Southeast Regional Associate College for broad implementa- of expert teachers from urban,We also hope to broaden stu-tion of story exchange in Nash- suburban, and rural schools, dents cultural awareness byLA, MS, AL, TX, FL, and GAvilles schools and in dozens ofprovided them with copies ofintroducing them to their peers schools and communities acrossColum McCanns Apeirogon (withacross the region, and to centerFor International Education Week,representing both the diversity ofes, they had a shared humanity southeastern Kentucky. Wevesincere thanks to the Moriahstudents needs and interestsI collaborated with the Louisianasoutheast Louisiana and the diver- and need for connection. enriched our network and theFoundation), and hosted sever- by supporting their use of storyState University Internationalsity of the United States. Most ofThough the group was intimate, networks of our partners byal participants for a three-dayexchange to build empathy inCultural Center (LSUICC) to host athe participants did not know onethe impact felt much greater. LSU joining with US Department ofplanning and story exchangetheir own unique ways. Narritive 4 (N4) exchange betweenanother prior to the story exchange,is a rather large state school with Education-funded grants likeworkshop at the Hindman Set- U.S.-born students and interna- but their stories touched on over- over 34,000 enrolled students. Gear Up, Promise Neighborhood,tlement School, a home-away- tional students. I co-facilitated thislapping themes such as seekingThis was the first N4 story ex-and Shaping Our Appalachianfrom-home for Appalachian writ- story exchange with Laura Dean,belonging, facing and confrontingchange hosted at Louisiana State Region (SOAR). We anticipateers and educators. ThroughoutLSUICCs Director of Internationaldiscrimination, renegotiating iden- University. We look forward to Student Engagement.tity, and celebrating their heritage.deepening our relationship with An equally important and exciting project is the Apeirogon pilot program, We hosted 8 students whoseThe students walked away realizingthe LSUICC and expanding our identities spanned four continents,that despite their ethnic differenc- presence in Louisiana. centered on Kentucky schools from Owensboro to Greenup and everywherein between.Throughout the year, these teachers have experimented with The students walked away realizing that despite their ethnic differences,the story exchange, teaching a brand new novel, and putting empathy into they had a shared humanity and need for connection. Though the groupaction with community-engagement projects led by students. was intimate, the impact felt much larger.10 11'