After seeing a post about Voces Sin Fronteras Our Stories Our Truth on Facebook (tip of the hat to Sujei), I had to find out who published this collection of bilingual comics. The books was a joint venture from Shout Mouse Press and The Latin American Youth Center (LAYC).

Latin American Youth Center’s (LAYC) mission is to empower a diverse population of youth to achieve a successful transition to adulthood, through multi-cultural, comprehensive, and innovative programs that address youths’ social, academic, and career needs.

Since our founding in the late 1960s, LAYC has grown from a small grassroots recreation center to a nationally recognized agency serving all low-income youth. Each year, LAYC serves over 4,000 youth and families through youth centers, school-based sites, and public charter schools in the District of Columbia and Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
LAYC has over 50 programs and services that can be categorized as academic, arts and recreation, job readiness, safe housing, health and wellness and youth corner. Voces Sin Fronteras grew from a teens meeting and sharing their stories of immigration at the center. Eight teens ultimately collaborated to complete the project.

Shout Mouse Press published the book. Shout Mouse is a writing program and publishing house that exists to amplify unheard voices.

Through writing workshops that lead to professional publication, we empower those from marginalized backgrounds to tell their own stories in their own voices and, as published authors, to act as leaders and agents of change.

In partnership with other nonprofits serving communities in need, we are building a catalog of mission-driven books by unheard voices. Our authors have produced original children’s books, memoir and poetry collections, and novels-in-stories that expand empathy, affirm the vulnerable, and increase understanding of unheard perspectives. Shout Mouse authors include incarcerated youth, at-risk and immigrant youth in Washington, DC, and exploited children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 

Shout Mouse has partnered with Shootback to put cameras into the hands of teens in Kenya; Restavek Freedom Foundation to work to end child slavery in Haiti; Friends of Ballou to provide financial support to students at Ballou High School in DC, the Next Wave Muslim Initiative in DC, The Children’s Book Council, the DC Arts Collaborative  and more.

You can donate to support this important work or you could even volunteer and join Shout Mouse as a volunteer, employee or advisory board member.

Or, be a Megaphone! Megaphones receive special emails highlighting new books and new initiatives with content to share and forward (3-4 times a year.)

In return, Megaphones will receive a 20% off discount code for all SMP purchases and will be recognized at all SMP events as an invaluable part of our team.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shoutmousepress
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoutmousepress
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoutmousepress/
Youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuago1Au4Chnd9VUGM9EvAg

The Latin America Youth Center has many meaningful opportunities for local volunteers. They accept donations and have a free online newsletter as well.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelayc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laycdc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laycdc/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LAYCDC