S.T.R.O.N.G. Edutainment
Co-founder
S.T.R.O.N.G. (Stories That Root Our Next Generation) Edutainment is a non-profit organization co-founded by Setsu Shigematsu that is committed to educating and empowering children and youth to make a difference in the world. We are committed to creating literature and media that will guide and inspire young people to protect the people and the planet for future generations.
We actively stand for values that foster ecofeminism and intersectional sustainability, anti-racism, collectivity and collaboration within our communities and leadership. Now more than ever, we can no longer just imagine such a world, but we must engage in bringing that world to life for the well-being of all living things. Through our creative work and local outreach, we believe S.T.R.O.N.G. Edutainment can play a part in the creation of this better world.
The Guardian Princess Alliance
Setsu co-founded the Guardian Princess Alliance in 2013 with other concerned parents, educators, artists, poets and professionals. The Alliance began by creating children’s books and media to guide and inspire audiences to protect people and the planet for future generations.
Who are the Guardian Princesses?
They are the heroines of our stories that transform the cultural meaning of princesses into inspiring leaders who take action to protect the people and the planet. The Guardian Princesses model compassion and strength and demonstrate the power of knowledge and collective action.
Through the stories, we aim to foster environmental consciousness and a harmonious coexistence among all living beings. Our heroines model inter-racial solidarity and cross-cultural cooperation. The princesses are not born into royalty, but become Guardian Princesses who unite to defeat greedy predators who harm people and our eco-systems.
Princess Ten Ten and the Dark Skies: A New Musical
A rousing musical coming-of-age story about Princess Ten Ten as she fights to be herself and to save her kingdom. When Ten Ten is caught practicing a martial art only permitted for boys, the king's villainous advisor sees an opportunity to send her away and extract wealth by burning Fusan's black rocks that pollutes the skies. But once she finds the courage to be herself, Princess Ten Ten returns home to raise her voice, challenge her adversaries, and save the skies in this empowering tale.
This musical addresses bullying and polluting and offers ways that we can deal with these problems. Setsu Shigematsu is the executive producer of the Princess Ten Ten Musical outreach program.
Originating as a children’s book, this musical adaption was first workshopped at UC Riverside in 2017, directed by Chari Arespacochaga.
“With her courage and tenacity, Ten Ten learns to stand up for herself and defend her kingdom from ignorance and pollutants alike in this story for young audiences that introduces concepts such as gender non-conformity, environmentalism, and above all, the importance of being kind, compassionate, and true to who you are. “
– Chari Arespacochaga, Musical Director
Off the stage and into our community
Gender liberation and anti-bullying are central themes of Princess Ten Ten’s story. To help spread these messages, dozens of fourth graders from Glen Avon Elementary School in Jurupa Valley, CA were invited to the UCR campus to see the new musical Princess Ten Ten and the Dark Skies and participate in self defense and anti-bullying workshops after the performance.
In addition to attending the workshops, the local elementary school students were invited to attend a science presentation with Francesca Hopkins, an Assistant Climate Change Scientist. In her presentation, Dr. Hopkins demonstrated the instruments in the Mobile Isotope Laboratory, a transport van fitted with a suite of instruments that can measure the flux of greenhouse gases in the environment in real time. A highlight of the day was meeting Princess Ten Ten who inspires us to reduce air pollution that harms so many people and living creatures.
