Introduction
The Finding My Voice ESL Publication began at Catalina Magnet High School in 2006 as a class project. Having worked with students from Long Island City High School in New York City on a similar publication founded by my public school teacher-mentor Laura Baecher, I was anxious to produce a magazine with students when I moved back to Tucson to begin my teaching career at Catalina High. Produced on my home computer and copied with funds from my credit card and our local print shop, the students were thrilled with the results and insisted we start a club, raise funds, and produce an even more sophisticated publication the next year. The writing from this original, rough-cut publication can be viewed on the Tucson Unified School District website (tusd1.org).
In the fall of 2006, a fabulous group of young authors worked with me to establish an extra-curricular Finding Our Voice ESL Publications Club. With funds from the Educational Enrichment Foundation and the enthusiasm of many students and faculty in our building as well as in the Tucson Unified School District, we produced our second (first official/professional) volume of writing and art. This magazine circulated to 500 people in and around Tucson, helping to build community through the sharing of stories and the development of truer understandings of diversity, human struggle, and resilience. You can view the text and art from this publication both on this website and on the TUSD website.
This year, 2007-2008, the club has grown. We have worked to refine our mission and to develop another powerful edition of our annual magazine. Our vision statement reads: The Catalina Magnet High School Finding Our Voice Multicultural, Multilingual Club exists as proof that immigrants and refugees can overcome their hardships, get along, and be active participants in their new homeland. We focus on developing self-expression and responsibility while sharing our stories and cultures with others to build a community of love and respect.
The newest volume of Finding My Voice was published in April of 2008 and will soon be available online. Limited edition copies are available by contacting Julie Kasper at juliekasper@gmail.com.