Digital Storytelling at CITC

Summer camps provide digital storytelling adventures for youth

Everyone has a story—and CITC Project Lead Kayla Rome showcased three stories in her first video project through the Podcast and Digital Storytelling class at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).

“Stories not shared or captured are stories lost,” Kayla said. “I am in awe every time I talk with my 85-year-old grandfather; he often tells me another story I am only hearing for the first time. When I read the title and course description, ‘Podcasting and Digital Storytelling,’ I knew it would be the perfect training to teach me how to make videos and podcasts. I wanted to learn so that I could help teach media [to our students].”

Kayla works with Story Knife, an after-school digital storytelling program offered at Bartlett High School by CITC. Story Knife also offers summer, winter, and spring break camps, open to all ASD Alaska Native/American Indian high school students—including two camps coming up this June.

UAA’s Podcast and Digital Storytelling class was a free opportunity led by See Stories, a nonprofit whose mission is to build inclusive communities with film and story.

As part of her course work, Kayla captured stories from friends and colleagues on film.

“I always like to share stories and to listen to others’ stories,” she explained. “[For this project], I picked people who I liked to listen and talk to, as well as people who enjoyed sharing. I chose people from different cultures to show that everyone has a story.”

Check out Kayla’s video below:

Equipped with her new skills and knowledge, Kayla will join colleague Rick Schleyer, Story Knife Production Instructor, for two Story Knife camps: Adventure Media Camp, June 19 – 23, and Digital Storytelling Camp, June 26 – 30. These are opportunities for students going into grades 7 – 12 to learn to film and edit their own videos and capture the stories important to them.

“I hope students will be inspired to ask their parents, guardians, or elders to share stories that they can record and save for a lifetime,” she said.

The Story Knife camp and CITC’s other summer camps offered through Youth Empowerment Services are open to Alaska Native/American Indian students in the Anchorage School District. Visit our calendar to learn how to sign up for CITC summer camps.

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