First U.S.-Based NABU HP Creative Lab to Open in Miami

New lab provides resources and workshops for local Haitian artists and the broader Miami community, to create and publish books to help eradicate illiteracy

MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, January 30, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On February 2, NABU Global Inc., together with HP Inc., will officially open the doors to the first U.S.-based NABU HP Creative Lab located in the Miami-Dade County African Heritage Cultural Arts Center.

Aimed at serving the vibrant Haitian community around the world, NABU will further its mission within the lab to train local artists and authors on how to create and publish authentic stories, thereby expanding its Haitian Creole mother tongue book collection.

After working in Haiti for years, NABU saw a dire need to expand book offerings for Haitian children in their mother tongue language, and has since become one of the largest publishers of Haitian Creole books globally. These stories are provided on NABU’s high quality, low bandwidth reading app, which currently distributes over 2,000 original stories in mother tongue languages and is available for download for free to all. Given the political instability in Haiti today, NABU is expanding its efforts within the diaspora community in south Florida. Building a more robust Haitian Creole book collection at the Miami NABU HP Creative Lab will ensure that every Haitian child has free access to the essential books that they need to learn and read.

Additionally, NABU has partnered with Scholastic to distribute physical copies of their Haitian Creole books through the New World Reading Initiative, a free literacy program, administered by the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning, that provides a new book to eligible enrolled K-5 grade students in Florida each month.

The opening will offer an opportunity for NABU and their key partners to showcase the new Miami NABU HP Creative Lab as a platform for Haitian authors to publish fun, educational bilingual children’s books, while honoring and preserving their cultural heritage.
Using the latest HP technology, including computers and printers, local artists will be able to also empower Haitian children to see themselves and their lives reflected in the pages of the stories they read.

“Opening the new creative lab in Miami will enable NABU to train and provide resources to native Haitian Creole talent in the community to use their creative talents as authors and illustrators," said Tanyella Allison, CEO, Co-Creator of NABU.

She went on to share, ‘These creative labs have shown success in other markets as we look to eradicate poverty through solving the global literacy crisis. We are excited to have HP and our community partners in Miami provide the support for our first U.S.-based creative lab.’

HP’s Chief Sustainability Officer, James McCall shared, “As part of HP’s Sustainable Impact, we are finding ways to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people by 2030. Collaboration in this newest NABU HP Creative lab in Miami will further that goal to train and equip authors and illustrators with the latest HP computer and printer technology, and we are excited to see their creative storytelling come to life from it.”

Scholastic Education Solutions’ SVP and GM for Literacy Pro & Collections, Michael Haggen went on to share, “NABU is serving an important role and creating the needed space for authentic stories to be told by and amongst the Haitian community. All of us at Scholastic are honored to partner with NABU to help broaden the reach of these efforts, expanding the work we’ve begun together with the University of Florida Lastinger Center to bring these books to Florida students at home through the New Worlds Reading Initiative.”

The community of Miami-Dade, especially those interested in attending workshops to learn skills to become best-in-class authors and illustrators for the Haitian Creole book collection, are encouraged to learn more by going to www.nabu.org.
Additionally, anyone wishing to learn more about how they can join NABU’s global efforts to solve the literacy crisis should visit www.nabu.org or email info@nabu.org.

About NABU Global Inc: NABU, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is a tech-enabled publisher of multilingual children’s books dedicated to solving the global literacy crisis, so that every child can read and rise to their full potential. Creating culturally responsive, mother-tongue stories more efficiently and at a scale never achieved before, their vision is to provide every child with equitable access to literacy by 2030. More information about NABU is available at www.nabu.org.

About HP: HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a technology company that believes one thoughtful idea has the power to change the world. Its products and service portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions help s bring these ideas to life. Visit www.hp.com

About Scholastic: For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) has been encouraging the personal and intellectual growth of all children, beginning with literacy. Having earned a reputation as a trusted partner to educators and families, Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, a leading provider of literacy curriculum, professional services, and classroom magazines, and a producer of educational and entertaining children's media. The Company creates and distributes best-selling books and e-books, print and technology-based learning programs for pre-K to grade 12, and other products and services that support children's learning and literacy, both in school and at home. With 15 international operations and exports to 165 countries, Scholastic makes quality, affordable books available to all children around the world through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online. Learn more at www.scholastic.com.
Through the New Worlds Reading Initiative, a free at-home book delivery and literacy program, enrolled students receive free books by mail each month, along with supporting materials for families to use together.

About African Heritage Cultural Arts Center: The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is the nucleus of arts learning, training and access for Miami-Dade County’s African-American community. The center promotes and fosters the rich, diverse cultural perspective of people of African Heritage through high quality instruction for children and youth in a variety of cultural arts. Learn more at http://www.ahcacmiami.org.

Colleen Furman
NABU
+1 330-808-1094
colleen@nabu.org
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