Our “story”  

At HerStory NOLA, we invite young women to explore the power of their own voice and listen to the stories of others. Since we began under the name NOLA Digital Girls in 2015, we have produced stories with over 154 young women between the ages of 11 and 18, in collaboration with two community partners and four schools.

 

Our storytelling model

In HerStory NOLA workshops, participants have the opportunity to cultivate their unique voice and independent spirit through the creative medium of digital storytelling. They also hone their skills in written and oral communication, technology, media production, and leadership, and gain experience in project-based learning and collaborative work.

 

Our workshops use a three-step model of Finding your story, Making your story and Sharing your story. We employ a variety of group and individual activities to stimulate creative thinking, personal reflection and innovative expression among participants, including:

• Community-building circles

• Life mapping

• Dyads/peer feedback

• Storyboarding/visual mapping

• Show your story photography challenge

• Interviewing 101

• Reflective journaling

 

These activities are interspersed with open “workshop” sessions, where participants work independently and with mentors to create their story narratives, assemble their media materials (family photos, video selfies, pictures from the internet, favorite songs, voiceover recordings), and edit their work using free online software.

At the end of our time together, participants screen and discuss their stories. They also make plans to share their stories with others. All participants receive a DVD and digital copy of their story and a HerStory NOLA journal. Every HerStory NOLA participant is also invited to contribute her work to our digital library.