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Winter 2023 Story Gathering Workshop

Are you or a high school student in Washington State? Are you interested in story-telling?

EchoX’s DIGITIZE is hosting a paid workshop opportunity for Washington State high school students to learn journalism skills from communications professionals.

The workshop centers around “own voices” a central theme of unity and understanding across cultures (and community). It will teach students about storytelling as a means of responsible online engagement and understanding.

At the conclusion of the workshop and the submission of their final piece (either a ~1000-word article or a ~3-minute audio piece), students will receive $500.

The workshop:

The workshop will start off with an in-person kickoff meeting at Washington Hall. We’ll work with them on a variety of skills such as how to conduct a thoughtful interview, how to pitch a project concept, identity mapping, and how to give critical feedback. They’ll have some time during this first meeting to brainstorm concepts for their project, either an article or a short audio piece, and will later meet (virtually) in small groups to finalize their project concept. Students will then have two months to schedule and complete three one-on-one with virtual sessions to workshop their pieces with our Communications Director.

We will conclude the workshop with an in-person showcase at Washington Hall where students will be able to invite their interview subjects, friends, and family to watch them present their article or audio piece. At the closing showcase, they will be presented with a certificate of completion and a $500 stipend for their work. Their pieces will be published on Voices, EchoX’s virtual collection of thoughtful news, art, and literary pieces, and each piece will be on the EchoX home page for a month.

The piece:

The theme of the workshop is “own voices,” culture, and community. This might look like a piece about an aspect of the student’s ethnic or cultural community that they are particularly interested in or proud of and want to share (e.g., the history—and rise—of boba in the U.S., the cultural importance of bush burning to prevent uncontrolled wildfires) or something that they feel is misrepresented in mass media (e.g., the sacredness of regalia, the misunderstanding/‘othering’ of Asian foods, the underrepresentation of BIPOC communities in tech, etc.).⁠

The instructors:

Kathryn Lam is a professional editor and the current Communications Director of EchoX. She is driven by multicultural digital storytelling and strives to create a world where the celebration of our differences is what brings us together. Kathryn has worked abroad as a high school teacher in France and as an editor for international Ph.D. candidates in Denmark and the Netherlands. In university, she wrote, edited, and produced Seawords, a monthly marine science magazine.

Kamna Shastri is a freelance journalist and the Community Outreach Coordinator for KUOW Public Radio. She is also a former EchoX employee. Kamna’s storytelling holds deep value for community, social, economic, and environmental justice. Her pieces have appeared in the Seattle Globalist, Brown Girl Magazine, South Seattle Emerald, the International Examiner, and the Wing Luke Museum. Kamna has also produced a podcast series in collaboration with the Seattle Globalist to celebrate local leaders of color in the environmental field.

The timeline:

In-person workshop days:
Big Group Session/Kick-off: Saturday, February 4, 2023, Washington Hall, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Final Showcase: April 22, 2023, Washington Hall, 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Fully remotes days:
Small Group Sessions:
Students will attend one of the following sessions:

  1. Friday, February 10, 2023, 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  2. Saturday, February 11, 2023, 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
  3. Saturday, February 11, 2023, 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  4. Sunday, February 12, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

One-on-one Session 1: February 12 to April 14, 2023, one hour long, scheduled on student’s time.
One-on-one Session 2: February 12 to April 14, one hour long, scheduled on student’s time.
One-on-one Session 3: February 12 to April 14, one hour long, scheduled on student’s time.

Project deadlines:
Check-in one: March 1, 2023
Check-in two: April 1, 2023
Final Piece Deadline: April 15, 2023

How to apply:

Applications for this workshop are now closed.

Meet our Fall Social Media Fellow:

Helping with marketing for the workshop is our new Fall Social Media Fellow, Isabel!

Isabel is a high school student at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, WA. She is interested in digital equity and loves to read. Recently, they read (and loved) Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner. Their favorite food is ceviche, but for hot foods she also likes pho and posole. Isabel will be working with us this fall to create social media posts for our Instagram page surrounding the workshop.

Questions, comments, or concerns? Email info@echox.org and a member of our team will get back to you shortly. Interested in our youth opportunities? Check out our Instagram page for the latest announcements and updates.

This workshop is sponsored by the City of Seattle. Thank you, Seattle!