The education team at Voice of Witness sends our love and support to all educators and students during this unprecedented time. As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak is having a devastating impact on teaching and learning in the US and around the world. With this in mind, we are sharing a handful of storytelling projects below that we hope will inspire you and your students in the days ahead while we respond to new challenges.
If you haven’t already, check out the curated list that Voice of Witness staff put together with COVID-19 resources, whether you’re seeking educational tools, financial help, or information.
We’re also asking for your feedback on VOW resources in a short survey to help us continue developing content that is relevant and useful to our educator network. All responses will be entered to win one of five digital copies of Say It Forward: A Guide to Social Justice Storytelling.
As always, please reach out by responding to this email or writing to edu@voiceofwitness.org if there are ways we can support you and your students at this time. We’d love to hear from you.
In solidarity,
Cliff Mayotte and Erin Vong
VOW Education Team
Student Storytelling Projects to Inspire Your Class
In addition to VOW’s free lesson plans, here are some Voice of Witness student projects to share with your own classes, engaging and promoting empathy.
Prison University Project: Read student narratives from the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison, created through VOW storytelling workshops.
Mi María: Narratives of the Hurricane and Its Aftermath in Puerto Rico: VOW is working with the University of Puerto Rico to collect the stories of hurricane survivors across the island. Listen to Professor Chansky and three of her students talk about the continued impact of the hurricane and the experience of interviewing other survivors.
Voice of Witness (VOW) is an award-winning nonprofit that advances human rights by amplifying the voices of people impacted by injustice. Cofounded by Dave Eggers, Mimi Lok, and Dr. Lola Vollen, we explore issues of criminal justice, migration, and displacement, and forge space for marginalized voices to be heard. Our book series depicts these issues through the edited oral histories of people most closely affected by them. Our education program connects educators, students, and members of justice movements with oral history tools for storytelling and social change.