Project POV: Gordon Bell High School students craft compelling personal narratives
CBC News | Posted: December 20, 2019 11:00 AM | Last Updated: December 20, 2019
Students share stories of perseverance, growth in their own voices through initiative with CBC Manitoba
Young people often have incredible stories to tell — and the students at Gordon Bell High School are living proof of that.
Dozens of students from the West End Winnipeg school came to CBC Manitoba's studios in October for a day of workshops on photography, writing, audio and more. It was part of an initiative called Project POV that aims to help young people recognize the value of their own stories.
The students were paired up with mentors who have been helping them craft their stories over the last few months.
Some of the projects use audio to tell a story — like the students who talked about local music, homeschooling, bullying and learning disabilities. One student talked about how watching her sister overcome discrimination as a refugee inspired her, and another talked about how video games became both an escape from poverty, and a reminder of it.
Other students used audio to tackle subjects like surviving war, being afraid of the future, moving from a small town to a city and learning to accept yourself.
Some projects, meanwhile, used video to tell their stories about topics like the power of dance, the meaning of love and what it means to have a friend in a time of need. One student created a video where she wonders whether she will ever see her war-torn home country again, and another looked into how different life is for teens today than it was for past generations.
Some of the projects used the written word or illustrations to tell powerful stories about the influence of things like art, theatre and perspective in their lives. One pair of students even created a completely illustrated narrative that takes the reader into what it feels like to experience panic.
The students are now sharing their work publicly for the first time.
Here are some of their stories.
How my sister's resilience inspired me
Grade 12 student Aya Alshareh talks about how watching her older sister overcome discrimination and other barriers to education as a Syrian refugee in Lebanon inspired her to keep a positive attitude through her own struggles when her family immigrated to Canada.
CBC mentor: Nelly Gonzalez
Learning to love yourself
Grade 11 student Clary Ines shares a project exploring the power of perspective in a journey to learn self love.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Caroline Barghout
'Dizzying, blurring, fading': An illustration of panic
Grade 11 students Eva Lauder and Leo Beam share a visual interpretation of challenging internal forces.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Jillian Taylor
Escaping from reality
Grade 12 student Isaac Campeau explores how video games became an escape from, but also a reminder of, his family's struggles with poverty.
CBC mentor: Bridget Forbes
Learning perseverance through hardship
Grade 11 student Isra Alshareh tells the story of how the war in her home country of Syria marked the end of her childhood and taught her the importance of fighting to overcome challenges.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Meagan Fiddler
Fear of the future
In an audio exploration of the pressure to succeed, Grade 10 student Jade Castel wonders what she wants to do with her life — and realizes it's not a simple answer.
CBC mentors: Austin Grabish, Lyzaville Sale
How dance changed my life
Grade 10 student Jaedyn Williams talks about how dance has taught her how to deal with stress, stay focused and tell her story in a way that makes sense to her.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentors: Lenard Monkman, Lyzaville Sale
'It can make someone's day'
Grade 10 student Javelin Robertson talks about how friends helped her learn to deal with anxiety, and how she tries to help others now.
CBC mentors: Brett Purdy, Karen Pauls
What is love?
Grade 10 student Jerreme Macam explains how people in his life taught him what love can look like.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Donna Carreiro
'It's so inspiring': The power of theatre
Grade 12 student Katrina Lengsavath talks about how performing arts influenced her life and changed her perspective.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Marjorie Dowhos
Bridging generations
Grade 10 student Olicel Carungay talks to people from different generations about their experiences as teenagers to find out how much has changed.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Kristin Annable
Adapting to city life
Grade 9 student Oliver Heaman-Warne grew up in the small town of Homewood, Man. He describes growing up without anyone around and adjusting to life in the city.
CBC mentor: Julie Dupre
'I pray each day for my home'
Grade 10 student Sadaf Saberi remembers the war-torn country she grew up in, and wonders if she'll ever be able to go back.
CBC mentor: Alana Cole
Breaking the stigma around learning disabilities
Grade 12 student Salina Tewelde talks about how her learning disability made school a challenge, how she finally learned to believe in herself, and how we can all help break stigma around learning disabilities.
CBC mentors: Brett Purdy, Karen Pauls
Lessons from homeschool
Former homeschooler and current Grade 12 student Sequoia Robertson shares the fears, failures and triumphs that came with making the transition to school in the city.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Robin Summerfield
The path to becoming me
Grade 10 student Soe Aye talks about how an experience with bullying at school made her the person she is today and taught her what it means to be a real friend.
CBC mentor: Holly Caruk
A journey of identity
Grade 10 student Sudan Parke is half-Filipino and half-Jamaican. She speaks of her experience, the hardships of being a mixed child and how she learned to accept herself.
CBC mentor: Stephanie Cram
Moved by music
Grade 12 student Tuva Bergstrom explains how getting involved in Winnipeg's music scene changed her life, and talks to fellow musicians about what makes the local scene so special.
CBC mentors: Colton Hutchinson, Bryan Harder
Dreams of becoming an artist
Grade 12 student Zion Payawal shares how art has helped him overcome the struggles he and his family faced after coming to Canada from the Philippines.
On mobile and can't see the document? Click here to read it online.
CBC mentor: Sarah Petz