The Journey

In the mid 2000's Tia began offering bookmaking residencies for schools and after-school agencies through youth-based arts non-profits and independently. This involved collaborating with teachers and administrators to develop custom bookmaking programs for kids ages K-12. Her programs offered young people a chance to learn how to make their own books from quality, durable bookbinding materials and express themselves through writing, watercolors and markers. 

Bookmaking residency at Carson Academy through Arts At Large

She wrote story template outlines for them to write themselves into and illustrate their own pictures based on themes teachers were using in the classrom. For example, literacy (The Lifecycle of a Bean); anti-bullying (Courage to Care); everyday heroes and sheroes (The Autobiography of Me); and social emotional learning and support (Kindness All Around Me). The templates provided areas for them to write themselves into the story, choosing how they would respond or adapt to different challenges presented in the story.

Caring All Around Me began in 2016 as a 10-page template for a bookmaking program at Milwaukee Center for Children and youth, an agency that works with youth in the foster system. The original template’s title was Kindness All Around Me.

Seeing their faces light up after conpleting their books, gaining self-esteem reading it with their peers, or the sheer joy of illustrating each page showed the programs success. This inspired Tia to develop the story into a full book and create the main character, Mara.

Caring All Around Me bookmaking program helps young people feel proud; acknowledge challenges, think of ways they or others could help those get better and discover something new about themselves. Youth could discover a hidden strength, learn about healthy ways to cope or relate to others, and imagine a brighter world they can help create!