I used to think of the 4-H Program as a place for kids to learn how to raise pigs or shear sheep—but no longer!
Renaissance Journalism is partnering with the 4-H Program of Imperial County to help young people in that desert community learn multimedia storytelling skills. Our goal is to empower young people with the ability to tell their own stories using 21st century media tools and techniques.
Ten high school students fled the Imperial Valley's desert heat to spend a week in the cooling fog at San Francisco State University for a crash course in storytelling and video production. They capped the experience with an emotional graduation ceremony that their families and friends—600 miles away—could watch live through the magic of the Internet.
Another confession: My wife and I are infatuated with Hawaiian music and hula. At its heart, hula is about storytelling. Through dance, chants and music, performers can tell stories about anything from the courtship between two lovers to the epic myth of the creation of the Hawaiian islands at the beginning of time. And the best performers do it with an almost spiritual reverence to their history, culture and traditions.