Education is my Right
The Center on Digital Storytelling reports on Northern California/Pacific Northwest Region:
“My voice says…
I need to be heard
I can speak
I can call you a friend, a cousin, a brother
I can speak my mind I can tell you stories
I can sing you a song.
But how do I know what to say? what to sing?
Because I am educated.
Education is my right.”
~ Excerpt from a digital story by Jose Rodriguez, created in an open workshop (Berkeley, California)
Image from Jose Rodriguez’ story.
On January 20, Jose Rodriguez’ digital story, Education is my Right, screened at Laney College Theater in Oakland. Created in our January open workshop, the story premiered in Lesson Plans, an original stage production developed collaboratively by youth from Destiny Arts Center and Youth Speaks. Lesson Plans was commissioned by the Rex Foundation to inspire and compel action ensuring that education is available to all.
In October 2010, as part of our ongoing work on the Seattle Refugee Youth Project, we facilitated an action planning session with 18 high school storytellers and a group of University of Washington (UW) students. Seattle Youth and UW mentors planning “Voices of Migration: A Digital Storytelling Premiere”. The UW mentor students and the youth watched digital stories created by the youth about the challenges refugees face in transitioning to the United States; identified important themes in the stories; determined audiences; and began planning a community screening of the stories, scheduled for March 5th.
With funding from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and UW’s Center for Global Studies, the youth and mentors are preparing for an afternoon premiere entitled Voices of Migration, featuring the stories, cultural dance, information about volunteer opportunities, and a Q & A session with the youth storytellers. Following the premiere, there will be a VIP reception with the storytellers, their families, project partners and funders. On Friday, January 28, Seattle PBS station KCTS9 featured a story about the project. The premiere is free and open to the public, but seats are limited so please RSVP to allison@storycenter.org.
KJ