UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — WPSU and the Penn State Outreach and Online Education Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Council invite the University community to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Oct. 9, by joining in the launch of WPSU Reads, a program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read.
WPSU has been awarded nearly $20,000 in grant funding by the NEA to create programming that broadens communities through a shared reading experience of the book “There There” written by Tommy Orange. The national bestselling novel and winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award explores Native American culture through the lives of 12 people who are unaware of their common connection. Sarah Hamilton, education program manager for WPSU, said the PBS member station is using the grant funds and collaborating with the DEIB Council to provide books to the community during the 2023-24 academic year.
“We plan to do this in partnership with community organizations and leaders by offering screenings and discussions, showcasing artists and authors, and amplifying existing opportunities occurring throughout the region,” Hamilton said. “We are collaborating with various public libraries to host book discussions and Penn State partners to support events and activities, including the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance and the Indigenous Peoples' Student Association.”
Karen Armstrong, director of inclusion, equity and diversity for Penn State Outreach and Online Education, said the council is organizing professional development opportunities with “There There” being the focus of discussion.
“The council is really honored to partner with WPSU on this grant. Being a part of it is a recognition of the importance of DEIB-centered professional development in the workplace,” Armstrong said. “Supporting Native Americans, Indigenous and First Peoples' is imperative to fostering a true sense of belonging. We are so excited to read and discuss the book 'There There' with the DEIB Council and plan to collaborate with the community for additional conversations.”
WPSU will be distributing a limited number of copies of “There There” to the community at two separate events Oct. 9 on the University Park campus:
The Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance Day Rally
Old Main Plaza
Noon–1 p.m.
The Feast at Heritage Hall
HUB-Robeson Center
7:30 p.m.
To learn more about other community events, visit WPSU Reads online.
The following libraries and community partners are participating in this program by hosting book discussions. Please check their websites for dates and times:
Penn State Outreach DEIB Council
Acknowledgement of Land
The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history. Learn more about Penn State's Acknowledgement of Land on the Educational Equity website.
WPSU-TV serves 24 counties in central Pennsylvania and reaches 515,000 households, and WPSU-FM is accessible to more than 450,000 listeners in 13 counties. The public media station also includes WPSU Digital Studios, which offers original web series that explore science, arts and culture.
WPSU is a service of Penn State Outreach.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.