2017 Summer Institute

The Power of Digital Storytelling: Lights, Camera, Image, Sound, Scripts

Digital Bridges partnered with StoryCenter for a workshop on multimedia storytelling. The Institute was held May 30-June 3, 2017 on the University of Iowa campus. StoryCenter has an impressive history of helping faculty members, nonprofit organizations, and community partners capture their work in creative, compelling videos. The organization has long been especially committed to documenting issues related to equity and social justice.

To describe StoryCenter’s work using their own language: “We create spaces for transforming lives and communities, through the acts of listening to and sharing stories. Since 1993, we have partnered with organizations around the world on projects in StoryWork, digital storytelling, and other forms of digital media production. Our selection of public workshops supports individuals in creating and sharing stories.”

The week-long Institute included a two-day “Snapshot Workshop” designed for digital storytelling in higher education and public-facing humanities scholarship and teaching. Through the week, participants learned to transform their work into stories as they experimented with script writing, the use of images, voiceover recording, and editing. Everyone ultimately developed a digital story from conceptual beginnings to online publication. Eligible participants, selected from Grinnell and University of Iowa faculty members, teaching staff, and UI graduate students, received an $800 stipend for attending the full week.

2017 Summer Institute Participants