LEI creates communities in Cleveland Heights

Looking for a gift idea for a teen? Lake Erie Ink suggests its latest anthology of writing and art, On the Other Side.

Lake Erie Ink (LEI) believes it takes a community to foster a lifelong love of creative expression. This fall, as LEI cautiously restarted its programming for youth, the Cleveland Heights-based organization took steps to increase its community presence. LEI currently is partnering with more than 29 different community organizations, and is becoming involved with a total of 36 outreach and community programs, including local schools and libraries, and larger programs, such as the Maltz Museum’s “Stop the Hate” competition.

LEI hopes to continue this partnership trend by expanding relationships with other organizations to provide opportunities for creative expression and academic support for young people who may not otherwise have those opportunities.

One of the most important communities LEI has created is its Teen Editorial Board, which meets weekly through the fall and winter. This group of teens works year-round to publish an anthology of writing and artwork collected from youths across Northeast Ohio.

Currently, the board is accepting submissions for its sixth anthology, which will center on the theme Blur. Teens interested in submitting their work for publication can submit writing or artwork to https://lakeerieink.org/teen-book-project/.

This community of teens, and the work they produce, has proved especially important to them in recent years. As the editorial board noted in the introduction to On the Other Side, its most recent anthology, “New circumstances bring great uncertainty, but they also bring room to learn to grow and to change . . . words are the most important tools for growth and change and healing; never stop sharing yours because there is always something that hasn’t been said yet.”

The teen anthology makes a great gift for a young person. Copies of On the Other Side are available for a donation of $12. Anthologies can also be found in several local independent bookstores. Learn more at https://lakeerieink.org/teen-book-project/.

Eli Millette

Eli Millette works as the communications and outreach director at Lake Erie Ink. He currently lives in Cleveland Heights. 

Read More on A & E News
Volume 14, Issue 12, Posted 7:24 AM, 12.02.2021