Digital Storytelling with LGBT Youth
When our group started out, we wanted to bring digital storytelling to local high school Gay Straight Alliance clubs. We had the goal of teaching technology skills so that the students could use technology to express themselves and tell their stories. Right away we struggled to find a partner, many high schools were unable to commit to our ideas for multiple reasons. So we shifted our idea to have a summer camp at the Brian Coyle Center’s makerspace. We were excited at the prospect of being able to work with the technology they had there and introducing new programs and ideas to the youth. We worked on the details and how everything would look. Then, COVID-19 and the protests against police brutality happened. Because of social distancing and our group having other priorities, we ended up scrapping the summer camp.
In the end our project ended up being a series of video tutorials that we will have available for future CTEPs and groups that may be interested in digital storytelling. These videos range from photo editing to 3-D printing, all with the goal of being able to express oneself through these technologies. While these videos aren’t as intensive as our original goals, we still believe that they are useful and will allow youth to express themselves more easily.
Group Members: Emery Brush, Rachel Friedland, Devon Matti, Ally Ososki
Each year our 35 CTEP AmeriCorps members choose community action projects that make a contribution to bridging the digital divide. The CTEP civic engagement projects are often cited by CTEP AmeriCorps members, staff, supervisors, and community supporters as one of the most unique and energizing parts of the program. This is one of the 2020 civic engagement projects.