This fall five NC Campus Compact member schools will begin work on a “facing project,” examining a community issue through the collection and sharing of individual stories.
Their efforts will be supported by The Facing Project, a national nonprofit that works to “connect people through stories to strengthen communities.” NC Campus Compact partnered with the Facing Project to select the schools through a competitive application process.
Schools chose a topic relevant to their local community and campus, and preference was given to campuses that sought to focus on issues related to poverty or diversity. The participating schools and the issues they will face are:
- Guilford College: Greensboro, NC – Facing Immigration: Refugee Stories
- UNC Asheville: Asheville, NC – Facing Affordable Housing
- UNC Wilmington: Navassa, NC – Facing Community Change
- Western Piedmont Community College: Burke County, NC – Facing Immigration
- Winston-Salem State University: Forsyth County, NC – Facing Health Disparities
The Facing Project approach shares the stories of local people through the talent of local writers and actors. Writers interview community members who are facing the issue and capture their stories in the first-person. The accounts are then compiled as a book and brought to life on stage through a community theatre event.
The Facing Project will provide each participating campus a package of materials and services, including a toolkit, training, expert consultation, editing, and web hosting for the final project. The package is valued at $1,500.
Davidson College, also an NC Campus Compact member campus, completed its own facing project, Facing Perfectionism, in 2015.
The Facing Project was co-founded by Indiana Campus Compact Executive Director J.R. Jamison, along with New York Times bestselling author Kelsey Timmerman. Since its founding in 2012, The Facing Project has worked with 30 communities in eight states and two countries and has been hailed by The Huffington Post as one of three oral history projects to watch.
