See Stories was founded as a nonprofit in 2019 by a dedicated and diverse Board on the premise that representation matters, that Alaskan youth are uniquely equipped to share authentic local histories through film making and podcasting, and that empowering youth with media literacy is a vital skill in today’s world.
See Stories leads documentary film and podcast workshops with diverse teens throughout the state to craft new stories via podcasting and filmmaking that better represent the Alaska they know at no cost to the students. In media workshops, youth choose topics they are passionate about, interview peers, family, and community members, then edit their footage into a film or podcast that they share at a celebratory community showcase. We work at Title I Schools throughout the state, and also work with adjudicated youth.
See Stories also engage educators in free, virtual and in person workshops where teachers learn to lead multimedia projects in their classrooms. We offer 3 – 5 teacher workshops annually in which teachers not only learn vital media skills, but also earn credit through the University of Alaska. We have worked with hundreds of educators from dozens of communities across the state.
See Stories is excited to offer two connected and free classes for Alaskan teachers who work with 6th – 12th grade students. We encourage teachers of Alaska Native or English Language Learner students to apply (the deadline is quickly approaching on February 28th). Teachers will receive three credits for completing the first class in Digital Storytelling, and three credits for completing the second class, Digital Storytelling Student Implementation in which teachers will implement all that they learned in their classrooms. Educators will receive a total of six credits for completing both courses. These courses are both virtual and in-person for one week in Homer, Alaska. You can apply at this link by February 28th, and learn more below:
In this course, teachers will engage in a supportive community as they learn the following:
- Teaching digital storytelling as a tool to engage students in place-based history, culture, & civics using primary sources
- Building lesson plans to accompany teacher- and student-produced films to make films usable in classrooms across the state
- Gaining a firm grasp on how to teach place-based history and engage students in civic engagement and media literacy through digital storytelling and primary sources.
- Supporting students to document their community stories, histories and cultures from multiple perspectives both for their own understanding of American history and place and to share their stories with their community and state, turning their digital stories into civic engagement opportunities to make a positive difference in their school and community.
Watch the director of See Stories share more about this course on Instagram live here to get a feel for what we’ll be working on. All sessions are required. Cost is free. You will need to apply by this coming Wednesday, February 28th. Find out all the details at this link.
We encourage you to view our library of amazing student produced vides at https://seestoriesalaska.org/videos/ and the podcast productions at https://seestoriesalaska.org/podcasts/