University of Maryland (Baltimore County) Demonstrates the Power of Story in Service Learning
Emily Paulos
“We are all aging, and that doesn’t have to be a scary thing, it’s actually a beautiful thing if you really look at it ... and that’s what these stories enable us to do is to really sit down and look at life and to really appreciate each breath, each day, each moment, each memory.”
Colleges and Universities across the United States and around the world are increasingly embracing models for service learning, as a way of connecting students with local communities and needs. As a way of kicking off a service-learning program led by the UMBC New Media Studio (NMS), StoryCenter led a series of digital storytelling trainings for staff and faculty. What then emerged was a collaboration involving the NMS and Retirement Living Television (RLTV), a closed circuit television programming effort of the Erickson Retirement Communities (now Erickson Living).
In 2006, 20 Erickson retirement community residents in Charlestown were asked to work with students and NMS staff to create a series of stories. The students supported residents over several weeks on each aspect of story development and production. Seventeen stories were created and shared via RLTV, through presentations at the Erickson community, and on a DVD that was distributed to residents and the larger community. Students and storytellers were then asked to reflect on their experiences, in a documentary produced as part of the project. Many expressed an appreciation for the power of digital storytelling to bridge generational differences by building a strong sense of shared connection.
Learn more about UMBC's digital storytelling efforts and read All the Good Stories: Intergenerational Digital Storytelling as Process and Product, by William Shewbridge, UMBC New Media Studio, April 2007.