GREEN BAY – Howe Elementary Community School hosted its 6th Annual Read Your Heart Out celebration last week, bringing together students, families, educators, and community members for an afternoon centered on literacy, cultural celebration and community connection.
Read Your Heart Out was founded in 2006 by educator Michelle Belnavis while working as a reading interventionist in Madison, Wisconsin.
What began as a small literacy effort has since expanded to schools across the state, with each celebration grounded in honoring African American culture, strengthening school-family partnerships, and advancing educational equity.
“This is our sixth annual Read Your Heart Out event [at Howe],” said Howe Elementary Community School Principal Amy Kallioinen. “It brings community members and families into a space where we are celebrating the achievements and the contributions of African Americans in our community and they’re able to come in and work with our students, share their experiences and read a book.”
Read Your Heart Out is a school-wide initiative designed to celebrate Black and African American stories while encouraging scholars to see themselves as readers, storytellers, and lifelong learners.
“Read Your Heart Out is about more than reading — it’s about belonging,” Kallioinen said. “When students see themselves reflected in stories and surrounded by adults who value literacy, it strengthens confidence, identity, and a love of learning that extends far beyond one day.”
The event invites community members into the school to read with students and share books featuring Black authors, illustrators, and protagonists — helping strengthen representation in literacy and build meaningful connections between school and community.
“Representation matters,” Kallioinen said. “It’s different to have somebody read to you or talk about experiences that they have not lived through. It’s much more authentic and impactful when you have somebody that looks like you or has lived through similar things as you be able to share and make those connections. Bringing in a variety of different community members also helps our kids see different things that they might be able to do within our community.”
This year’s assembly featured Miriam Brabham, the inaugural Poet Laureate of Green Bay, whose work highlights storytelling, creativity and the power of words to build community and inspire young learners.
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