Each year, FamilyMeans serves about 280 youth in our nationally recognized Youth Development programs located in Cimarron and Landfall. Over the last year, participants from the Cimarron Teen Center have worked with professional artists from StoryArk to create their own original podcast series, Carnation. A collaboration with StoryArk, the podcast has been made possible by support from ArtReach St. Croix’s NEA Big Read, Stillwater Area School District’s Office of Equity and Integration, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.
Carnation focuses on the personal stories of Cimarron teens and explores the themes of immigration, borders, and belonging. The teen participants, all of first-generation immigrant families, are enrolled in Stillwater Area High School and Park High School, and many of them have had their lives deeply impacted by these themes, both in and out of school.
In October, Cimarron Teen Podcasters were recipients of the 2019 Cultural Jambalaya Diversity Award. This distinction honors those who have made a positive difference by advancing multiculturalism and ethnic diversity in their Minnesota communities. FamilyMeans is proud of these teens and how they have used storytelling to explore cultural topics and personal experiences. Listen to the Carnation podcast at www.storyark.org/carnation.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
