Category — Kaw Valley Voices

Odds & ends from the last few days… -Alison Reber

Friday 3/28/08 Bob and I attended KU’s Hall Center for Humanities Annual Oral History Workshop (Learning to Hear the Stories IX)

This year’s theme, “Beyond These Hallowed Halls—Educating America”, encourages us to take a critical look at the connection between our past and our future as we turn to projects in individual and group history that have had a significant impact upon our public memory. (sound familiar?…)

There were several old friends in the mix - Mike Watowa & Gloria Throne from the Kansas Folklore Society. Ruth Turney, Pat Kehde, and Burdett Loomis were also in the mix.

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Project Updates:~> Kaw Valley Voices - The interviews were recorded and transcribed between 1996 and 2003. A traveling display was developed and used during KVHA’s ‘96 Rollin’ Down the River Festival. We’re ready to digitally produce the materials.

~> River Roots series - Catfish Cookies was published as an extension of Kaw Valley Voices with the intention of publishing additional books that blend creative writing short stories with river centered environmental history.

~> Poetry Series - In January we launched a series of poetry readings and discussions to look at environmental futures from a past, present, and future perspective. The readings are being video and audio recorded.~> Wetland Learners video - We’re also working on producing a short video to document Wetland Learners next spring.

~> Special Summer Event - Junish? The idea is to have a showing of the video and to showcase some of the other projects that have happened this year. This is intended to be a fundraising celebration - maybe some kind of an auction, music, some food…

~> River of Words - Next fall we should be ready to introduce a homespun version of the River of Words program as a Wetland Learners extension.

~> Wings Over the Wakarusa - With any luck we’ll be able to incorporate some of the above in a second River Roots book called “Wings Over the Wakarusa”. Ideally we’ll be ready to go to print in September so it’s ready for Christmas ‘08.

By remembering the past we can envision our future.

Our understanding of common experiences is anchored in history and culture. When we creatively interact with the environment, we’re also building a sense for how the world should be. If people are able to find common ground, a shared vision for the future becomes within the realm of possible.

Over the years KVHA has interwoven humanities-based principles with our grant-based programs.

We need help gathering the resources to make these things happen.

What you can do:

1 - Help us find compatible partner projects or potential collaborators.

2 - Share your talents and/or volunteer your abilities.

3 - Make a financial contribution.

“Ancient Voices” by Ryan Stork

Generously commissioned by Boardmember Bob Burkhart

on behalf of the Kansas StreamLink Program

The bench will be on display at a variety of locations around the Kaw Valley.  Watch for bench updates. 

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Van Go Mobile Arts, Inc. is an arts-based social service agency that provides year-round after-school and summer job-training programs to high-needs and under-served youth, ages 14-21.

Using art as the vehicle, Van Go is devoted to delivering constructive activities to children at risk for drug and alcohol use, teen pregnancy, truancy or delinquency.

Founded in 1997 as an innovative way to help fill existing gaps in social services, Van Go has been a lifeline for hundreds of kids and teens in crisis.

Our Mission: To improve the lives of high-needs youth using art as the vehicle for self-expression, self-confidence, and hope for the future.

Can digital technologies and storytelling facilitate community-based education?

Spinning yarns around the digital fire

…Storytelling brings people together in a common perspective, and stretches everyone’s capacity to empathize with others and share experience” [3]….. Collaborative and group–based activities can promote prosocial behavior, or “positive social interaction skills such as cooperation, sharing, kindness, helping, showing affection and verbalizing feelings” [10]…. This increasing awareness of the importance of communities in learning environments includes ways to use computers and technology in order to encourage collaboration [11]. In what ways can digital technologies (in particular the Internet) add new dimensions to dialogue, storytelling, or collaboration?