Logistics, Checklists, and Resources for Digital Storytelling Facilitators

Planning the Project

1. Consult with the Aboriginal community and solicit potential project partnerships.

The Aboriginal community in which the digital storytelling project will be conducted should be informed about the planned digital storytelling project at the start of project planning, to solicit guidance and feedback on the project, to promote interest in the project, and to identify potential project partnerships. The importance of doing the project should be emphasized. The community consultations may also present an opportunity to solicit financial or in-kind support for the project.

2. Define the specific focus, goals and objectives, and participant profile for the project.

What are the reasons for doing the digital storytelling project? What will be accomplished as a result of the project? Why is the project important to do? Who will be the digital storytellers involved in the project? What types of messages are anticipated from the project participants? Who will be the target audience to hear these messages? Will the participant group include children of survivors or residential school survivors? Will the project involve women or men? With which Aboriginal group will participants identify? Will participants belong to any other social group? Will persons under the age of 18 years be permitted to participate in the project? What protective measures need to be established for involving under age participants in the project? How many participants will be included in the participant group?

3. Develop the project work plan.

Write down all of the steps required to complete the project and how much time and resources it will take to do each of the activities listed below. Be sure to include room for flexibility in the project timeline, to accommodate the particular needs of project participants and any unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the course of the project. The work plan should include preliminary options for sharing the digital stories upon completion of the project. The project work plan will need to be revised, as the project planning and activities progress.

4. Create the project budget.

Using the draft work plan as a reference, make a list of all expenses associated with each phase and workshop session of the project, including costs for contract fees and honoraria, gift giving and other cultural protocols, travel and accommodations, venue and meeting space, technical equipment and supplies, and food and catering. Determine whether any space or equipment (i.e., image scanner, photocopier, printer, audio recording devices, image projector) may be borrowed or donated, as in-kind support.

5. Develop the project tools.

With a clear outline of the focus, goals and objectives of the project, and a tentative idea of the project timeline and schedule of activities, prepare all of the documents that will be required to do the project, including relevant checklists, the call for participants, workshop agendas and facilitation notes, the consent form and various release forms, and the honorarium receipt. Any hand-outs that will be required for the different workshop sessions of the project may also be gathered and prepared.

6. Apply for project funding.

With a project budget and work plan in place and potential sources of financial and in-kind support identified, it may be necessary to apply for grant funding to support the project. The request for funding should clearly outline the project plan, the amount of funding required to successfully complete the project, and why it is important to do the project.