LaShonda Paulsell Mark Twain Elementary Springfield, MO Introduction Mark Twain Elementary has a diverse population of students and staff, many of whom come from different backgrounds. Our school's diversity needed to be celebrated and recognized. Many students come from low-income families. These students have yet to have the opportunity to travel or gain experiences from other places. Most students that I have had in the past are so interested in learning about

Stephanie Ortiz, Branson High School, Branson, Missouri Intro: The Heritage Voices: Empowering & Celebrating Biliteracy project aims to support heritage speakers in developing their bilingual and biliterate abilities. Given the large population of Spanish-speaking students in our district, our primary goal is to provide resources and guidance to heritage speakers to successfully navigate the Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) requirements while celebrating their achievements i

Karla Klemme, Chouteau Elementary, North Kansas City Introduction The main objective of this pen pal project was to use diverse books representing cultures around the world to make connections with students in a different classroom in the district. Students used multicultural books to collaborate throughout two reading units that focused on theme, inferring, and point of view. The students communicated their learning through post cards, videos, and posting on an online