By Paul de la Peña-Franceschi

The South Texas Writing Project (STWP) recently hosted a reception honoring its teachers and students to promote the CD release of Rural Voices Radio III which was produced for National Public Radio. Over 100 Laredo educators and students attended the event to share stories and readings and celebrate the CD's release. Excerpts from the CD were premiered on the newsmagazine Drive Time on 1490 AM and were also heard on KHOY Catholic radio, which is airing the CD in its entirety on a rotation schedule. Other radio stations have also been invited to air the recording, according to rural voices program coordinator Carol Brochin.
The project which is in its eighth year, includes a combination of readings by teachers and students from area schools. Amoung the local musicians who played for the CD were guitarist Dr. Gilberto Soto, chair of the TAMIU Fine and Performing Arts Department, and harpist Rodrigo Perez Ceballos.
Rural Voices Radio III profiles the lives of teachers and students from four states speaking about places they call home. Kentucky, Nevada, South Datoka, and Texas. The Texas segments entitled "Crossings: Border Voices along the Rio Grande," takes a look at the life of border towns, Laredo, San Ygnacio, and Brownsville. Juan A. Juarez, a student at Laredo Community College, is photographed in the CD was one of the participants.
Other students featured on the CD include Curtis Stacy of United Day School, Juan Alvarado III and Theresa Moss, students at San Ygnacio's A.L. Benavides Elementary; Frederico Lozano of United High School; and Luz Diaz from Laredo Community College. Teachers on the CD include Per Fjelstad of TAMIU; Rosa Maria de Llano, of Cigarroa High School; and Melissa Martinez, of United High School.
The South Texas Writing Project (STWP) is an affiliate of the National Writing Project (NWP), a non-profit grassroots organization that strives to improve writing and reading at all levels. The NWP and the US Department of Education provided funding for the CD. The STWP will host its annual summer writing institute which assists teachers with their writing skills. While the project's administrative headquarters are at Laredo Community College; the summer institute will be held at TAMIU. The administrative director of the institute is Carlos Nicolas Flores. The site director is Lucinda Farrokh and co-director is Dora Maria Flores. Applications are being taken through April for the summer institute.
For more information you can reach Farrokh at lfarrokh@laredos.edu/wp or call 721-5491.