Location: san francisco

I spent many years doing the traditional lifestyle; corporate job, family, community, etc. I began shifting in my forties to being more renaissance, seeking modalities outside the main frame of daily lifestyle, including holistic sciences, massage therapy, and methods of natural healing. Activities included multi-media art, photography, community theatre and writing. Successes were more personal and community building than financial. I have enjoyed in more recent years teaching massage therapy, working with adults with TBA (tramatic brain injuries) and doing reflexology and clinical massage. "Listening", to me represents universes that go beyond the norm of just "hearing". People seek change in their lives for growth and development . I believe we are put on this earth to culitvate and nurture the human spirit. What better way to encourage and support each other than through listening, whatever media that takes. So, I'm excited to be a part of this fantastic global exchange.

William Davenport is a filmmaker, musician and teacher. He has worked on award winning productions and has shown his work at film festivals around the world. William owned a successful commercial production company for many years, before becoming a full time teacher. He has taught advanced filmmaking courses at San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking, Art Academy and the Art Institute. For three years he managed a television station and taught broadcasting courses at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale. He became interested in special education and autism while teaching at the high school. William holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Art from San Francisco State University; Master of Arts in Education in Instructional Technologies also from San Francisco State University; he is currently completing a Masters Degree at San Francisco State University in Special Education, with an emphasis on Autism.

I'm a wanderer.

I've been a writer, a director, an actor, a teacher, a photographer, a cook and a tech worker. In my chameleon-like existence, some skills are short term loans, others stick with me like old friends.

Digital storytelling has interested me since the early days of "Joe's Digital Diner," but I did not begin creating my own digital stories until many years later.

My primary interest is the way language is changing- becoming more visual, more immediate. Still, my literary roots will not let me give up the written word. I think it still has a significant role to play in digital storytelling. How that all works- I dunno. I'm just playing. Today stories are more like toys- they are built to delight, to mystify, to engage, to share an experience. I want to keep making better toys. The challenge is to not take it so seriously that the "mission" gets in the way of the telling, or the joy.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of young people by empowering them through education, advocacy and leadership opportunities.

Bay Area youth are faced with a multitude of decisions every day that affect their health — decisions about sex, substance use and relationships are just a few. There are many options for these youth, ranging from those that involve extreme risk to no risk at all. So how do they make those decisions? Well, according to young people, their top three sources of information are their friends, the media and good old-fashioned experimentation.

This is where HIFY comes in. We strive to reduce the risks by helping young people understand safer options and adopt healthy behaviors. We treat youth as individuals, with the right and the power to make informed choices and lead healthy lives. Only young people know their personal life experiences and health needs, and HIFY coaches them to become their own health advocates. At the same time, we teach other organizations and communities to listen to young people and support them as they seek to live healthy lives.

HIFY believes...

...youth have the right to ask difficult questions and expect real answers.

...youth have the right to have good friends, get a great education, feel safe, and be healthy.

...youth have the right to expect the most from friends, teachers, doctors, coaches, counselors, and parents!

HIFY creates publications and resource materials and facilitates workshops and trainings for youth and the providers that work with them on a variety of youth and health topics, such as body image, sexuality, STDs and HIV, substance use, self-esteem and mental health, relationships, and violence.

The core of our work is with youth. HIFY believes youth are their own best advocates. Therefore, they need clear and complete information. We provide this information through workshops, survival guides, and our Peer Education Team.

HIFY believes that youth and adults in partnership create opportunity and community. The adults in this partnership need on-going support and training. Therefore, we provide them with trainings, inservices and provider's guides.

HIFY believes that communities must work together to change the system and improve lives. We provide leadership within the community to create collaborations, assess youth needs and concerns, and facilitate discussions and information-sharing throughout the community. To this end, we sit on several community boards and councils.

I currently serve as the Community Technology Manager in the Technology Center at the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) in San Francisco, where I utilize technology as an empowerment tool for low-income families. In 2006, I designed and implemented HPP’s Digital Storytelling Program for formerly homeless mothers going through a 12 month Community Health Worker training program.  I also work for Poor Magazine as a digital media instructor for no-income people writing their own books.   I sit on the Steering Committee of the Community Technology Network (CTN) and organize the monthly CTN Meet-ups for people working with community technology in the Bay Area. 

Please contact me if you are: 

• Interested in being a part of the Community Technology Network
• Creating your own digital storytelling program
• Passionate about digital storytelling