As part of the YOU 177 initiative and 1 World, 1 Book, many communities are doing a One City, One Book program – the entire city reads the same book at the same time – to bring together their community. For example, Tulsa, OK is using the inspiring bestseller Dream by Susan V. Bosak as a city-wide read to spark dialogue between young and old and build vital intergenerational connections.

As part of the Tulsa Across the Generations initiative, Tulsans young
and old, families, schools, libraries, community groups are invited to read and discuss Dream. We have tips for doing a really cool intergenerational reading; engaging activity ideas to connect children and older adults; the meaningful Listen to a Life Essay Contest for young people 8-18 years; a unique opportunity to write a Life Statement;
the magical Dream Exhibit; and creative ways you can share your dreams for yourself and your community.

If your city is interested in a One City, One Book program with Dream by Susan V. Bosak, contact the Legacy Project at
1-800-772-7765 or e-mail us.

For Tulsans young and old, download a One City, One Book information sheet you can circulate. There are 6 ways you can participate in One City, One Book…

1. Young and Old Read Dream

All ages are invited to get together to read the award-winning book Dream by Susan V. Bosak.

Dream is told by a wise old star, an elder grandparent/mentor figure. The old star takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through hopes and dreams across a lifetime. The book's inspiring message is that you're never too young or too old to dream. It's a rich, multilayered book that offers something for all ages.

Says The Bloomsbury Review, "This elegant book depicts the journey of life – from infancy to older adulthood – highlighting all the hopes and dreams found along the way... Inspirational quotes from people such as Martin Luther King Jr, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Emily Dickinson are set alongside gorgeous illustrations by internationally acclaimed artists. Richly crafted and thoughtfully written, Dream is a dazzling project that challenges us to find a dream and follow it."

Dream has won 11 national awards, including an International Reading Association Children's Choice (10,000 students read and vote on the books they like best), a Teachers' Choice, an iParenting Award, and the Pinnacle Award as Best Gift Book.

Everyone, young and old, loves to listen to a good story. As part of One City, One Book, do an intergenerational group reading. Schools can invite in older adults to read Dream and do intergenerational activities. Local seniors residences can also invite classes for a group reading and activities.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett launched One City, One Book in Tulsa by doing a special reading at a local school.

Copies of Dream have been generously donated to local schools, libraries, and community groups in Tulsa by The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation. The book is also available in local bookstores and online.

Get great tips for doing a fun, interactive, intergenerational reading that will create a special memory for young and old – you can even view a sample video reading by author Susan Bosak.

2. Age Engage

Get to know someone much younger or older than you are – you'll learn more about them, your community, and yourself!

After you share Dream, engage with another age by doing intergenerational activities. You can even link activities to a Grandparents Day event (we have a complete online Planning & Activity Guide), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

For schools, Dream is a rich cross-curricular literacy and goal-setting resource that connects to language arts (the book supports the Standards for the English Language Arts) as well as social studies (the book supports the NCSS Standards for helping students understand themselves and the world around them – individual development and identity, time, continuity, change, society/culture), character education, counseling, family/life studies, art, and gifted and ESL programs.

Check out our lists of engaging intergenerational activities and LifeDreams activities.

3. Win By Listening to a Life

Children and teens can go out into the community to interview grandparents, elder neighbors, nursing home residents, etc. to enter the Legacy Project's annual, national Listen to a Life Essay Contest.

The contest is open to young people 8-18 years. Interview a grandparent or grandfriend 50 years or older about their life's hopes and dreams, and how they overcame obstacles to achieve their goals. Then submit a 300-word essay.

The national Grand Prize in the Listen to a Life Essay Contest is a Lenovo ThinkCentre computer.

Young people can contribute to their community by recording and celebrating the important stories and legacies of older adults. Get complete contest details.

4. What Matters?

As part of doing an interview for the Listen to a Life Contest, young people can also help older adults in the community create a Life Statement. This is a way to permanently record the most important parts of yourself, what really matters, and share it with the Legacy Project's online educational community across the country.

Record important life experiences and stories, along with values and advice. This is an older adult's opportunity to speak to the future by helping us all learn from the past.

Young people, perhaps with some life wisdom from local elders, can also create a Life Statement for themselves as a map for their future. What are your goals and hopes? We have a special writing template available that young people can use as they think about who they want to become and how they can make a difference in their community.

Find out more about how you can participate in the Legacy Project's new Life Statement program.

5. Visit a Dream Place

Hopes and dreams shape your life – and they can change the world. Just think of those four famous words, "I have a dream..." From the personal wishes we make on the night stars to the people and inventions that have changed the way we live, the Dream Exhibit, based on the Dream book, celebrates the power of dreams.

The exhibit is a place that gives you permission to be free to dream what can be – no matter how young or old you are. As part of One City, One Book, the exhibit gets you thinking about your life and the generations, and inspires you to dream better things for your community. You can make and post a Dream Star with your ideas for a better city for all ages.

The Dream Exhibit features all the original artwork created for Dream by 15 top illustrators from around the world. You'll see watercolor, oil, digital, 3-D modeling clay, and more. There's also the magical, handcrafted Dream Chest inspired by the chest in the book. Concept drafts reveal the secrets behind the creative process.