80 kids are published authors thanks to this summer project
(MIRROR INDY) — Danijel Yeakey’s 8-year-old daughter, Chelsea, loves books, both reading them and writing her own.
“She was asking for paper to staple together and was like, ‘Mommy, this is my book,’ and she would bring them to her grandparents and have them read the stapled together paper,” Yeakey said.
So when Yeakey heard about a summer book club at Frederick Douglass Park this summer, she knew she wanted to sign Chelsea up.
“I thought, oh, this would be perfect because she’ll actually have a published book,” Yeakey said.
Local musician and author Tevin Studdard created the Literacy Entrepreneurship and Dreams — called LEAD for short — program this summer. Seven weeks later, more than 80 Indianapolis children are now self-published authors with books that can be purchased on Amazon.
“I can keep creating books, but true impact is doing it for the next generation,” Studdard said. “So giving them the tools and walking them through the step-by-step process of it all.”
Studdard wanted to help kids tap into their creative side by helping them come up with story ideas, work on grammar and learn to write in story format. A generative AI program was used to create the illustrations.
Celebrating an accomplishment
Children received copies of their newly published books at a graduation ceremony Aug. 1 at Frederick Douglass Park.
Chelsea beamed as she walked across the stage with her book, “Exercise Time with Rosie,” in her hand. Her book is about having fun exercising with friends and family.
Although she likes to read chapter books, she said she didn’t want to write a chapter book at first.
“This is my first time doing it, and I am really happy that my book is finished,” she said.
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Chelsea wants to create a series around her book’s main character, Rosie. She already has a title in mind for her next book, “Rosie Does Ballet.”
Studdard hopes to grow the program
LEAD started as a six-week workshop at Frederick Douglass Park this summer. But now, Studdard is partnering to run the class with youth organizations and sports programs.
He hopes to expand LEAD. He’s doing another series of classes in Indianapolis over the next few weeks. He eventually wants to take the program statewide.
He believes writing can open doors for kids. He’s excited to see what the kids in his program will accomplish in the future.
“They got so much potential,” Studdard said. “Nourish it and just give them the tools to succeed. They’re unstoppable. It’s endless what they can achieve.”
To learn more about LEAD or sign a child up for a class, email Studdard at tevinstuddardshow@gmail.com.
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Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian.