The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine announces the launch of Celebrate Muscatine, a website created by a group of talented, committed local youth.
“In partnership with the volunteer DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee), the Community Foundation has sponsored a youth-led initiative to develop a website, CelebrateMuscatine.org, to celebrate our neighbors, our legacy, and our community,” states Charla Schafer, Executive Director at the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine.
Our community is strengthened by our voices, cultures, and diversity. To celebrate our neighbors, our legacy, and our community, the website hosts:
· personal stories of current leaders who are making a difference
· the perspective of those from our past that have shaped our lives today
· education resources for all ages to promote racial, economic, and equitable learning opportunities
When asked why the DEI Committee and the Community Foundation chose a youth-led website, Schafer said, “We felt engaging this talented group of college students and young adults, and then stepping out of their way, would allow them to more vibrantly paint a canvas of our community, create energy, and bring next-generation perspective to the design and philosophy of the pages. Wait until you see what they are creating!”
Meghan Custis, a MHS alum and current student at Iowa State, interned with the Community Foundation over the summer in a public relations role. Custis states, “When Charla initially explained this project to me, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Right away, I thought of many of my peers that have been purposely engaged in these conversations, who I thought would love to see something like this in our community. Celebrate Muscatine is a place for people of any age in our community to learn new things and take pride in our community.”
Celebrate Muscatine is currently led by Meghan Custis, Destiny Williams, and Daniel Salazar. Destiny and Daniel are both MHS alums and current students at Muscatine Community College.
“Working with the committee members, Destiny Williams and Daniel Salazar, has been really enjoyable,” Custis states. “They dove headfirst into gathering stories of Muscatine people to feature and sharing ideas for the site. The website highlights our Muscatine County neighbors and groups that are celebrating diversity and strengthening our community. It also has a history page that features histor
ical stories you may not be too familiar with. The committee will continue working to add content to the site, but for now, we hope you enjoy it!”
The development team would love to hear your voices as we gather information for this community-based site. To contribute to the collective stories and information on the site, reach out to us at info@celebratemuscatine.org.