Building on over 10 years of oral history storytelling, Voice of Witness (VOW) has developed a methodology that effectively uses personal narrative to support a wide range of organizations and projects, including those focused on education, arts, social justice, health, community building, and more.
Storytelling is a powerful tool to help amplify your mission, your work, and the voices of your constituents. Whether you want to create a specific oral history project—such as a book, campaign, or podcast—or use the skills and practices of oral history to increase capacity for learning, mutual respect, and inclusion among your organization’s stakeholders, VOW’s consulting services can be tailored to fit your needs.
We are highlighting some of our recent consultancies below, demonstrating the breadth of this work. Our methodology is highly adaptable and able to proceed remotely as needed due to COVID-19. We’d love to work with you!
100cameras
Voice of Witness worked with nonprofit 100cameras to develop a program supporting students to tell their stories through photography and personal narrative. The program is currently being implemented in partnership with New York Center for Interpersonal Development and M.S.50 El Puente Community School in Brooklyn. Participants attend weekly classes and activities led by our joint staff that guide them through the process of documenting and sharing their past, present, and future.
Students are halfway through the program and have already learned key photography techniques and how to build their communication and empathy skills through storytelling. We’re excited to share more updates as the students complete the program, culminating in the creation of a book that features student photography and oral history narratives.
Koreatown Youth and Community Center
Voice of Witness is currently consulting with the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) in Los Angeles. VOW is facilitating oral history trainings and providing adult and youth curriculum support for their Koreatown Storytelling Project, which is focused on the impacts of COVID-19 on LA’s Garment District.
VOW’s curricular support will also extend to KYCC’s Prevention Education Program as they pilot a storytelling project detailing the recent community history of LA’s MacArthur Park. KYCC’s programs serve recently immigrated, economically disadvantaged youth and families and promote community empowerment.
Sequoia Living
Voice of Witness is consulting with Sequoia Living, a senior housing and services nonprofit, to implement an intergenerational storytelling project with local high schoolers. The project focuses on relationship building through the co-creation of narrative art, including oral history activities, photography, and more.
Through weekly visits (now virtual) to a senior center, students and seniors build strong intergenerational relationships through oral history practices, creating visual art based on personal stories. The project is resonating deeply with participants, as a Sequoia Living staff member noted: “Several residents have cried telling their social workers how this is the best thing that’s happened to them in a long time.”
We want to hear from you!
If you’re interested in learning more about VOW consulting and services, please contact Kathleen Brennan, Director of Institutional Partnerships and Strategy, for additional details and rates: kathleen@voiceofwitness.org. VOW offers workshops, trainings, and in-depth project consultancies to organizations interested in amplifying the voices of the communities they serve and promoting empathy, listening, and inclusion in their work.
