[Libs-Or] 10,000 hands - ​a child-centered project to celebrate diversity

[Susan Smallsreed]

Hello Oregon library folk,

I have an avid library patron, Chase (10 years old), who is committed to
social action.  Last year she wrote a book, *"Children Should be Seen and
Heard."* <http://www.portlandcm.org/node/859>  This year, she's started a
movement to help make the world a better place by celebrating
diversity: *10,000
Hands. <http://www.10khands.com/>*  When Chase and her mom, Langley, shared
the idea with me, I loved it and decided to help spread the word.

The project is simple.  Chase is trying to collect 10, 000 traced &
decorated hand-prints for an exhibition of diversity at the Portland
Children's Museum.  It's all spelled out on the website, but here's the
short course:

"1. Trace or draw your hand.  [Chase would like mostly children's hands,
but agrees that any hand is good --more diversity!  And hands can come from
anywhere.]

​2. Decorate it. ​(You can draw it, or collage it, or paint it.)

3. Once you have decorated it, please write a quality of the heart (love,
hope, equity, etc.) across the palm of the hand.  Please don't use bad
words."

Check the website <http://www.10khands.com/#submit> for how to upload it or
send in a picture.

This would make a great interactive program at libraries and schools.  I
plan to create a storytime and do it as the craft activity.  I'm also going
to set up a display, put out art supplies and instructions in the
children's area, and collect the finished hands.  Then we'll send them to
the Portland Children's Museum as instructed by the website.

I hope you'll join me in spreading the word and helping Chase reach her
goal of 10,000 hands.

Susan

PS. if you're wondering "Why 10,000 hands?", here's what Chase has to say:











*​​I want to bring people together and celebrate our differences through a
collection of hands drawn by children.​10,000 hands will bring people
together. All races, all colors, and all different hands. Some people think
that people with different beliefs don't belong in America. Some think that
people with different beliefs should be separate. But separate is never
equal. Being separate never improves anything. It doesn't help. If
anything, it makes it worse. Because if people can't work together, then
they can't solve problems. No one deserves to be (or even feel) alone. If
you want people to be together, you need to do something, or at least be a
part of something. You can become a part of 10,000 hands, and we believe
your voice is important too, just like everyone else's. You know that, I
know that. But some people don't. By submitting a hand, you help us show
that everyone's voice matters. Every single, unique and different hand
matters. Like a community. Everyone plays a role. So thank you for
listening. ​Thank you.*


*Susan Smallsreed,** Youth Librarian *
Northwest Library
Multnomah County Library
503.988.9448
www.multcolib.org
Preferred Pronouns: "she" and "her"
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