01 Mar Welcome to the Drake Community Press

By Makena Schoene: Social Media Intern

Not many are familiar with the Drake Community Press, but this year, we aim to change that. The DCP, as it is affectionately called, is a small- press publisher spearheaded by Carol Spaulding- Kruse. Over the course of two years, students and faculty members of Drake University will engage in the community, partnering with Iowa organizations to produce beautiful editions for readers in the community. The main goal of the press – “to promote positive interaction and community betterment”, while also providing students with a hands-on experience in the book editing and production process and bringing the community of Des Moines together through the work on different projects.

In 2014, the Drake Community Press partnered with Al Èxito, an Iowa based organization that helps middle-school Latinas and Latinos prepare for their future in education so that they may achieve both academic and professional success. Together, these organizations were able to create “The Ones I Bring with Me,” a full color illustrated edition that tells the story of young girls and women in Des Moines as they discover what it means to be a strong Latina in the world today. School, family and community are filtered through the lenses of young women who are standing in the middle of two cultures, attempting to unite these separate pieces as they discover who they truly are.

Now, in 2016, the Drake Community Press has begun a new collaboration with The Comparison Project of Drake University and the Des Moines Area Religious Council. The Comparison Project, directed by Tim Knepper, a philosophy professor at Drake University, is an organization that acts as a vessel to bring the global philosophy of religion to Des Moines. For more information on The Comparison Project, keep a look out for a forthcoming blog post in the next few weeks.

Over the next year and a half, the Drake Community Press and its partners will work to create a book that will feature different religious and sacred spaces in the Des Moines area. The main goal of the press is to create awareness and advocacy for advocacy about the issues of the organizations with whom they partner.

The book is slated for publication in the spring of 2017, so keep your eye out for updates as things get under way. Check back here for regular blog posts from different members of the staff, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!