The Identity Project

Program Overview: At The Identity Project we believe that in order to catalyze true systemic change in education, we must invest in radical interventions that tackle barriers to learning on the most fundamental level. We know that the key ingredient to creating lasting interventions lies in igniting a cycle of self-actualization in each student. Therefore, we have developed a model that harnesses the power of creativity to spur this cycle, transforming students' relationships to themselves, their learning, and the world they live in. The Identity Project's residencies in documentary storytelling empower underserved youth with invaluable opportunities to explore selfhood, identity and... read more Program Overview: At The Identity Project we believe that in order to catalyze true systemic change in education, we must invest in radical interventions that tackle barriers to learning on the most fundamental level. We know that the key ingredient to creating lasting interventions lies in igniting a cycle of self-actualization in each student. Therefore, we have developed a model that harnesses the power of creativity to spur this cycle, transforming students' relationships to themselves, their learning, and the world they live in. The Identity Project's residencies in documentary storytelling empower underserved youth with invaluable opportunities to explore selfhood, identity and personal power of voice. At the heart of The Identity Project lies the belief that every young person deserves an education that nurtures self-efficacy and bold expression of identity. Our innovative pedagogy is grounded in evidence-based practices of creative youth development, culturallyresponsive teaching, applied empathy, trauma-informed teaching and learning, and relational neuroscience. Our school-based residencies are embedded within English Language Arts and Electives classrooms and are built on two innovative pillars of inquiry, documentary storytelling and project-based literacy learning. Over the course of an implementation, The Identity Project guides students through learning phases in documentary storytelling -- including literary, visual and performing arts -- in order to explore and enrich students' sense of voice, narrative, and identity, and ultimately deepen their feelings of self-worth and educational empowerment. Throughout our residencies students build skills in documentary storytelling and acquire essential 21st century competencies, ranging from creative problem solving and collaborative investigation, to a growth mindset and social emotional learning. At the core of our work lies the belief that documentary storytelling combines the act of creation with a motivation to tell truths and reveal honest realities,teaching young people how to employ empathy, value humanness, and honor the inherent narrative in each of us. Portfolio of Programs: ur New Mexico portfolio of programs targets underserved youth ages 12-18, with a specific focus on serving Native American and Latinx students. Our Academic Residencies operate over the course of the spring semester and are embedded within the school day. Presently, we operate programming in four high-need districts in New Mexico including Bernalillo, Espanola, Santa Fe and Taos. Within these districts, we work with select partner schools to implement school-based residencies lead by our highly trained Artist Educators. Because we believe communities heal from the inside out, we prioritize recruiting local talent and those who self-identify with the youth communities we serve. In addition to our core curriculum, partner schools experienced our Indigenous Master Artist Series. Designed in partnership with the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, this series brings some of the most renowned Native American, Latinx, and native New Mexican artists directly in to the classroom. Through creatively designed project-based literacy workshops, Master Artists encourage students to investigate identity through creative and critical inquiry. In May 2021, The Identity Project plans to host a Final Student Showcase at SITE Santa Fe. This multi-district showcase will highlight student work including ensemble devised performance pieces, self-published books of poetry and an exhibition of photography portrait projects. While the primary population served during the 2019-2020 academic year was 200 students, we impacted more than 2,500 students across multiple districts.