Tonight I had the privilege of being part of the “Wednesdays with the Wex” Celebrating 15 Years of Pages anniversary discussion. Joining me on this panel was a stellar group of past and current educator participants, Laura Garber, Fawn Harris, Andy Jados, Stacey O’Reilly, and Sarah Patterson, all who have been touched by Pages in some way. Sitting on this panel was not only an honor, but served as a reminder of why this community is so important. In the conversation we were reminded that Pages is more than just an art and literacy multidisciplinary program for students, it brings people together, young people to young people, teachers to students, teacher to teacher, artist to artist, and artist to young people, and on and on. We were also reminded that Pages teaches us “to play” (O’Reilly) and step outside of our comfort zones to bring our students a richer experience using language, literacy,  and making art. We were reminded still that Pages teaches young people to see themselves, each other, and the world in a different way. Furthermore, we were reminded that our students feel safe in the Pages space, and the community we create helps them feel represented and seen without judgement. Congratulations to Pages on 15 years, and thank you Dionne for bringing us together.

-Enddy Stevens