In this intimate and interactive multi-week course, participants will take a deep dive into the practice of oral history and ethical storytelling with Voice of Witness (VOW).
Using insights and examples from our 15+ years of oral history for justice work, VOW staff will provide a comprehensive look at the entire process, from project planning to building relationships with community members/narrators and sitting down for an interview to editing, archiving, amplifying, and beyond.
Participants will have the opportunity to plan, conduct, and edit their own oral history interview with a community member, constituent, or colleague. With the support of experienced VOW staff, participants will complete the course with a powerful first-person narrative and road map for documenting more stories, which can be harnessed to support social impact programming, community building, fundraising and communications efforts, advocacy, narrative change, and more. Participants will receive guidance on continuing to integrate oral history and ethics-driven storytelling practices into their work after the CVI course is completed.
Course Overview
- Format: Virtual (Zoom)
- Structure: 7 weeks featuring 4 two-hour workshop sessions and 3 “offline” weeks for interviewing and editing
- Dates: October 7, 2025 through November 18, 2025
- Who is this course for?: This course is designed for advocates and nonprofit organization staff looking to expand their storytelling skills and document the first-person stories of community members. Program, communications, and development professionals are especially encouraged to apply. No prior oral history experience is required.
- Tuition: $250-$650 (see tuition tier details below)
- Participants: Up to 20 spots available.
Fall Schedule
- Week 1: Tuesday, October 7 (1-3pm PT / 4-6pm ET)
- Week 2: Tuesday, October 14 (1-3pm PT / 4-6pm ET)
- Week 3: OFFLINE (interviews)
- Week 4: OFFLINE (interviews)
- Week 5: Tuesday, November 4 (1-3pm PT / 4-6pm ET)
- Week 6: OFFLINE (editing)
- Week 7: Tuesday, November 18 (1-3pm PT / 4-6pm ET)
Sliding-Scale Tuition
- $650 Standard Rate: This level is for staff from organizations with an annual budget of more than $850k and/or individuals with the means to pay the full rate. (Up to 10 seats.)
- $450 Solidarity Rate: This level is reserved for individuals from organizations with an annual budget of less than $850k and/or low-income advocates. This discount rate is also available for multiple individuals representing the same organization. (Up to 6 seats.)
- $250 Grassroots Rate: This level is reserved for staff from small organizations with an annual budget of less than $500k and/or advocates without reliable income who could not take this course otherwise. (Up to 4 seats.) Please note that these spots are anticipated to fill up very quickly.
Tuition covers 8 hours of facilitated trainings, access to personalized feedback/Q&A via email, course curriculum, Say It Forward: A Guide to Social Justice Storytelling e-book, and additional VOW resources. Our sliding-scale fee structure aims to make this course accessible while acknowledging our need to cover staff labor and rising costs.
While sessions will be recorded and shared with participants after, we highly recommend live participation in all or the majority of the sessions.
How to Apply
Applications will open on September 2, 2025 and close on October 1, 2025. Please complete the CVI Application Form to share a little bit about yourself and why this course would be a good fit for you.
VOW staff will review submissions on a rolling basis until the course is full. Applicants can expect a response from VOW staff within one week of submission. You will receive an email with a link to pay the tuition fee; your registration is confirmed once you submit payment. Please note that the tuition is non-refundable once submitted.
Questions?
Please reach out to ela@voiceofwitness.org.
Learn more about the benefits and applications of oral history and first-person storytelling.
