When designing development programs, the idea that “this is how we have always done it,” needs to be left at the door. However, if my 5+ years of experience in programming has taught me anything, it’s that this is easier said than done.
Three years ago, I pitched the idea that there is no need to produce social media 101 classes for civil society organizations (CSOs), activists, and political parties overseas. Instead of training participants on how to use Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, I argued we should teach them how to tell their stories more effectively.
When I voiced this to program teams, they looked at me like I was crazy. Why would we not teach participants social media 101? Those were the hard skills they needed!
Then, a young woman named Meryl, who worked in the Asia department, came to me and said, “I think you are right.”
That is when the out-of-the-box digital storytelling program strategy was born. Funders loved it.
After three years of training activists in closed and closing spaces on digital storytelling, Meryl came back with a question—could we tailor the digital storytelling curriculum for the Lao context and teach youth in-country how to tell the story of marginalized populations through photography and cultural immersion?
The resulting Digital Storytelling Curriculum proves that NGOs of all sizes must bring innovation and forward-thinking into program design to secure funding and guarantee results. The purpose of this work is no longer to teach participants the hard skills needed to get “through the door” of social media advocacy. The purpose is to empower them with the passion for storytelling necessary to take these digital platforms and use them for real results.