Deadline: 28-Jul-23
Are you a student or a young professional with a disability? Join TOMODACHI Story Jam and share your story with other Japanese and American youth!
Story Jam is a nine-week digital storytelling program that brings together diverse Japanese and American college students and young professionals with disabilities to explore experiences, learn leadership skills, and build community with other youth through digital storytelling.
This program is supported by the Northrop Grumman Corporation and Japanese American Citizens League, Sacramento Chapter, and implemented by the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston.
Why participate in TOMODACHI Story Jam?
- Reflect
- Discover and think deeply about your personal life experiences.
- Share your stories
- Collectively explore experiences of breaking down barriers. Learn how to use digital storytelling to advocate for yourself and others!
- Build Community
- Meet other Japanese and American students and young professionals with disabilities and learn about each other’s cultures.
- Practice Leadership Skills
- Apply cross-cultural communication and digital skills in your day-to-day disability advocacy.
What does the TOMODACHI Story Jam program involve?
- They will accept 10 Story Jam participants for fall 2023. The Story Jam program includes:
- Nine 2-hour group sessions from September through November;
- 3–5 hours of individual support from facilitators, as needed;
- 5–8 hours of independent work on script, audio recording; and
- Editing, capturing or creating visuals, and video editing.
Eligibility Criteria
- To qualify for the program, you must:
- Be a Japanese or American individual with a disability;
- Be between 18 and 35 years old;
- Be a student currently enrolled at a Japanese or American college, or a young professional working part-time, full-time, or self-employed;
- Have basic English language skills (conversation, reading, and writing), or if you are Deaf, have basic English language reading and writing skills and basic American Sign Language skills;
- Have a compelling story about your experience of breaking down barriers at college, work, or other areas of life (e.g., relationships, family, community), and lessons learned;
- Be willing to attend all scheduled group sessions;
- Give permission to have your digital story be shared at a public online event and published elsewhere.
For more information, visit TOMODACHI.