Feminist Peace Network

Amidst the usual carnage and atrocities that usually grace my morning inbox, I was hugely pleased to recently receive the following letter. When I read about projects like this, I truly believe that we can indeed change the world! If you would like to be included, please follow the link at the bottom of the letter.

Dear Lucinda, my name is Betsy Sawyer, I am a middle school teacher in Groton, MA. I have been working with a group of students for almost 4 yrs. now on a wonderful peace project. We would like to tell you about it and hope that you may write to us and be included in our project. We recently received letters from Cathy Hoffman, Sayre Sheldon and Helen Caldicott. We have also heard from Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela along with hundreds of everyday people. We would be honored to include you in our project and hope you will respond. The name of our project is: Big Book: Pages for Peace.

I began an after school club called the Bookmakers and Dreamers club hoping to inspire middle school kids to write and design their own little books. I began with 7 students who initially challenged me to help them register with the Guinness World Book to break a record for building the biggest book in the world. When I returned the challenge to come up with a worthy topic for such a big book, they chose the topic of Peace - or more specifically, “What can kids do to help create a more peaceful world?” My students explained to me that as Bookmakers, they wanted to build a special book that other kids would be attracted to and really read. As Dreamers, they wanted to make a difference in the world and share thoughts and messages of peace with other people worldwide.

We decided we knew nothing about the topic and began intense research in our computer lab. While looking up Nobel Peace prize winners, the kids asked me if we could write to a few and ask their advice. This began a letter campaign where we sent out thousands of letters world wide asking questions about peace. To our surprise, many notable people, (and many not so notable people) responded to our questions.

We decided to try to make each letter a huge page in our book. To break a world record, our book must measure 12 ft tall by 10 ft wide (closed) and contain over 500 double sided pages. The book will weigh over 1 ton. We then were advised to find an engineer to help us. Knowing nothing about this we wrote to several Boston area engineering universities and eventually partnered with the University of Massachusetts Lowell. They assigned a few professors and about 8 freshmen students signed on to tackle the project for college credit. (these students are now seniors and ready to graduate, sticking with us all four years) The college students worked alongside my middle school students, (the original 7 are still with me, getting ready to graduate to the high school - and our total membership is now 82 members strong!) with visits back and forth to both campuses, to design and build a one-of-a-kind robotic page turner and building design for the book.

We then needed to find a way to professionally print the thing which began a journey into the large format printing world, inks and specialized papers and print media. By partnering with the Vutek Corporation in Meredith, NH ( a large format machine manufacturer) we realized we may actually achieve our goal of building this book. Needing a place to display this giant tomb, we contacted the Boston Museum of Science and Childrens Museum. They told us they never take outside exhibits, but because this project is so unusual, they would like to display it. We hope to unveil the project there this June. President Carter has offered to display the book at the Carter Library in Atlanta, GA as well as many other major locations.

The project is now getting a bit of media attention, we have been on the morning news, local papers and PBS would like to film a documentary about how this all came to be. I am most grateful that the journey has exposed my students to the marvels of science and engineering, math, geography, sociology, history, art, graphic arts, digital photography and book design. Not to mention public speaking and the most wonderful real world lessons of peace and civil rights from the best teachers on earth.

I wonder if you would be so kind as to respond to us and be included in the big book? I have attached the letter form the students have created and are sending out as well as a waiver that is required to display your response. We also have just put up a small web site where you can read a bit more about us at:
www.pagesforpeace.com

I thank you so much for your time and we all hope to hear from you.

Most respectfully,

Betsy Sawyer, teacher/club advisor
Bookmakers and Dreamers Club
Groton-Dunstable Middle School
Groton, MA/US

Filed under: Uncategorized, Sheroes, Children