In today’s times, we are experiencing a culmination of historical events in real-time: a global pandemic; worldwide demonstrations and civil unrest; and a push for social justice and reform.
Yet through it all, many have found ways to cope, grow, and thrive. Storytelling is an act of resilience that can forge human connections, increase empathy, and help us heal.
We at the Center for Applied Research Solutions invite you to share your experiences during these unprecedented times as a source of inspiration and support for both yourself and others. We hope to look back on these stories as a “multimedia library” of how we all coped during this unprecedented time.
Submission Due Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2020! (extended from June 15!)
Please note you must be 18 years or older to submit.
Who do we want stories from?
YOU! Come as you are, use your creativity, and share your story! Feel free to share this opportunity with your friends, family, and colleagues!
- Community or faith leaders
- First responders
- LGBTQ+
- Older populations
- Parents with school-aged children
- People living with disabilities
- People living with mental health conditions
- People in recovery
- People of color
- Restaurant and food supply workers
- Students (18 years or older)
- Young adults (18 years or older)
What kind of stories do we want?
We welcome creativity and are open to various types of submissions that relate to any of the prompt questions below. Come as you are, however you are. Perhaps, you have existing content on your phone/computer? Or, perhaps you want to capture something new that represents your thoughts and feelings.
Example submissions:
- Selfie video message
- Picture of art
- Picture of letter
- Video of a project you’re working on
- Audio message
What will we do with these stories?
We plan to display stories publicly on this website and across social media in collaboration with our network of partners in mental health and the arts. Our goal is collective and inclusive impact! So please share what you are comfortable with being widely viewed and shared. Depending on what submissions we receive, we may edit them together into a film to tell a larger story!
Here’s our top questions to get you thinking:
- Adaptation – What changed for you the most? How did you pivot?
- Purpose – How do you feel “essential” in your own way/role?
- Connectedness – How do you stay connected during isolation?
- Virtual Community – What kind of virtual communities are you into? *This may be social, or related to learning/education.
- Paying it Forward – What are some ‘acts of kindness’ you’ve done or observed?
Ready to send us your story?
GREAT! Submission is as easy as:
STEP 1 – Use our submission form to tell us all about you and your project.
STEP 2 – Upload your picture / document / audio / video / etc. via Dropbox. We can’t wait to see it!
If you are having difficulty submitting your story, or have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Creative Director of this project, Amanda Lipp at alipp@cars-rp.org
Thank you to our partners & friends for helping us spread the word!
