UNBOXED
LGBTQIA+ DIGITAL STORYTELLING PROGRAM
Unboxed connects LGBTQIA+ teens and older adults. Together, they explore and share transformative personal stories of identity.
Participants write, create, and collectively-edit mixed-media digital stories about their lived experiences.
The Program Entails:
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Participatory art-making
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Collective editing
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Trauma-informed curriculum
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Individual & shared healing
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A final finished product
Download this toolkit to run this program in your community!
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Program Success
Youth participants report that participating in Unboxed:
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helped them cope with life challenges; and
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connected them with someone from another generation.
Older adult participants report that participating in Unboxed:
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helped them cope with life challenges;
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decreased feelings of isolation; and
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helped them feel understood.
Decreasing ageism: Challenging stereotypes and promoting intergenerational understanding.
24
LGBTQIA+ digital stories created
5
LGBTQIA facilitators engaged + paid
LGBTQIA+ youth are twice as likely to report persistent sadness as their peers (CDC).
Nearly 60% of LGBTQIA+ older adults feel a lack of companionship, and >50% report feeling isolated.
(Fredriksen-Goldsen et al., 2011).
LGBTQIA+ older adults face greater barriers to healthcare and social support than their peers, and are more likely to live alone or be single than their heterosexual, cisgender peers (Center For Health Care Strategies, 2023).
Take a Closer Look
"Expiration Date" by Willow Tyler. Willow poetically shares a her experience as a teenager in contemporary society. Through her, audiences feel the ups and downs of youth– makeup, teenage friendships, clothes, mental health, and bullying.
"Queer Me" by Holly Hall. Holly Hall courageously shares her coming out story for the first time. As an adult, Holly brings audiences through the experience of being rejected by family for being gay. Her Unboxed digital story is evocative and emotional.
Program Designers/Facilitators
Unboxed was made possible through a collaboration between StoryCenter, Denver Public Library, and LinkAGES. StoryCenter provided facilitation, program planning, and design to adapt its digital storytelling workshop specifically for LGBTQIA participants. The Denver Public Library provided recruitment, collaborative thinking, and staff to provide programmatic support. LinkAGES provided funding, grant management, thought leadership, and content development.
StoryCenter
StoryCenter creates spaces for listening to and sharing stories, to help build a just and healthy world. Our public and custom workshops provide individuals and organizations with skills and tools that support self-expression, creative practice, and community building.
Denver Public Library
Denver Public Library's (DPL) Older Adult Services support older adults who have the time and emotional space to engage in lifelong learning, creative endeavors, and community connections. DPL welcomes and supports all older adults, in all of their circumstances and identities, in all of their hopes and dreams for the best quality of life possible.
LinkAGES Connects
LinkAGES Connects builds the capacity of organizations to eliminate the barriers to intergenerational programming including demonstrating impact, fundraising, program design, and collaboration. We do this through piloting programs, providing education and skills building, and building collaborative efforts.
Download Unboxed
Toolkit
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