As a member of the Landrum High School Ambassadors, sophomore Chelsea Regoni met students new to the region and even the country, many who spoke limited or no English.

Participating in this program, she said, further drove home the need for literacy and cultural understanding.

“I’m really interested in literacy and helping students understand the importance of that as well as different cultures so I thought those would be two really good things to bring together,” Regoni said.

So, Regoni, as part of her Girl Scout Gold Project, has coordinated an event to be held Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Landrum Library focused on celebrating literacy and cultural awareness.

The event will run from 6-8 p.m. and will include performances from Grammy nominated Native American flutist Roy Spotted Eagle Glass, drummers and dancers, a SC-ETV Appalachian musician and storyteller, a Scotch-Irish bagpiper and a German accordionist. The evening will also allow attendees to view cultural artifacts, learn about local cultural businesses offered by the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch and hear works read by local student writers.

“I want people to learn the importance of coming together through literacy and cultural events,” Regoni said. “Even though your lifestyles are different, that doesn’t mean you can’t find something to enjoy in other people.”

Regoni has worked with several judges to select winners from submissions of student writers. The students have written pieces about their cultural and ethnic backgrounds through poems and essays from prompts about what places in the world they would like to visit and why. Books donated by Regoni’s church and cash prizes will be awarded to the winning student writers.

“I’m really trying to get other students to continue writing and reading and even encourage their parents to do so, too,” Regoni said. “I believe that the development of literacy is critical to the development of our society, as well as an understanding of other cultures.”

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.