FACES Students Create Videos to Tell Their Stories
Vesper Society is committed to supporting the health and well-being of youth and families. In order to achieve this goal, we link arms with leaders and organizations to help them create long-term solutions in their communities.
The FACES for the Future program was founded in 2000 by two pediatricians specializing in adolescent health. In April, Vesper Society supported a four-day workshop for students in the FACES for the Future program at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward, California. Students engaged in a digital storytelling experience in which each participant created a short video. The workshop was facilitated by StoryCenter, a participatory media non-profit based in Berkeley, California, whose work is based around the idea of “Listen Deeply, Tell Stories.”
The goal of the workshop was to give students the space and structure to think about important moments in their lives and understand how those experiences have impacted them. Students had an opportunity to reflect deeply and develop their own language to share their stories, and in doing so, take ownership of how their lives are represented.
Prior to the workshop students were given preparation materials to help them think about the story they would include in their video. The first day of the workshop, students simply shared their stories verbally with meaning and intent. Next, they wrote a script, applying the input and supportive feedback they received through group participation. They then created an audio recording of the story and learned how to use a video editing platform. During the final day of the workshop, they used the editing platform to create a multimedia piece from their voiceover recording, pictures and video. The workshop concluded with a viewing of the digital stories they created.
FACES for the Future students have successfully overcome challenges in their young lives – many of which were reflected in the videos they created – including immigration, the death of family members and friends, challenging family environments, mental health, dealing with illness, and the impact of severe bullying. Students learned to use their voices as tools of advocacy to spread awareness about stigmas that have impacted them. This process allows them to take ownership of their experiences and use them positively as they move forward in their lives.
The goal of the FACES for the Future program is to support underrepresented high school students as they transition into the health career pipeline, giving them sustainable and viable opportunities for employment in an industry with significant workforce shortages. Moreover, through working with these students, FACES for the Future hopes to grow a diverse multilingual, multicultural health care workforce to serve patients in communities of need.
The FACES for the Future program model is unique because of its holistic approach to pipeline programming. The program collaborates with community partners and resources to provide students with Four Core Components of work: Health Career Exploration through internships and job shadowing opportunities; Academic Enrichment including tutoring, help with college applications, and health career workshops; Wellness Support including individualized care coordination and connections to mental/behavioral health resources; and Youth Leadership Development Opportunities that allow students to become advocates for their peers, families and communities.
Vesper Society supports FACES for the Future – Hayward at St. Rose Hospital because we believe that by serving youth, we establish long-term solutions and are one step closer to realizing the potential for healthy communities to thrive and prosper.