Karl created a story to relate an experience getting some very personal advice from a good friend Danny. It includes some great audio mixing around a reenactment of the phone conversation where Danny encourages him to take his music and life seriously. Although he didn't know it at the time, it would be the last time Karl would speak to Danny; and Danny's advice gained immediate importance in Karl's life plan as an rap artist, production company owner, and college student.
This story was created as part of a Year Up writing class. Year Up's mission is to close the "Opportunity Divide" by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Their model is a one-year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate apprenticeships. Learning Director and Writing Program Leader Melanee Grondahl attended the first MassIMPACT Spreading the Stories train-the-trainer in the fall of 2005, and incorporated digital storytelling into her creative writing class. This multi-week curriculum was based on matching the digital storytelling process to an educational standards based writing instructional plan. These Year Up digital stories were also facilitated with the help of Damien Rudzinski.
