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My project is titled “Panilla’s Journey.” It started as a manuscript I wrote with my daughter about a young girl’s changing view of the world and the effect she and others have on it. It is about problem solving conditions that we face as a species living on this planet.

As a parent it was heart breaking for me to witness my child start to realize that the world she was living in wasn’t perfect. She wanted to know why things were the way they were, and why I couldn’t just fix it all. These conditions include global warming, pollution, racism, and violence.

This inspired me to sit down and write with her a story that captured what the world of her dream would look like. “Panilla’s Journey” is a fanciful tale full of magic and wonder, but also practical solutions. People of color are the main characters in the manuscript.

This project will transform the story into an interactive augmented reality based book that will incorporate animation as well as music. Characters will literally will jump right off the pages of the book with the help of a smart phone or similar type device. Readers will be able to upload ideas for saving our planet to our website, and start think tanks both locally and globally. Viable ideas will then be implemented.

Our partners in this will be environmentalist, parents, children, schools, and family and community based organizations. We will also have a live version of the story that we can bring directly to community centers, schools, and festivals. This version will feature life sized puppets, and costumes as well as video and audio components. We also plan to do a smaller version of the live show as a pop up show at parks and street corners in various neighborhoods.

I already have the illustrator Robert Trujillo, as well as the animator, Allah El Henson, on board for this project. I will hire out all the fabrication items. I will be producing the musical accompaniment and lyrical content. I have direct educational contacts as an educator with both the Oakland and Berkeley school system. I will work directly with teachers and other educators, as well as programing managers of venues and festivals that fit our family based theme, to bring this to hundreds of people during our first year.  The goal of “Panilla’s Journey” is to empower and give our children hope for our future, as well as providing a voice and vehicle to make positive, and lasting change. This is a project that will sustain itself. With the help of your generous donation all facets of this project should be completed in the first year.