ABC 7 features Shifting Chicago Narratives student video showcase

By David Krosin

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Narrative Change | Youth Development

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May 18, 2022

For the Curie High School Robotics Club, a video storytelling project became something much more than an opportunity to document their robots in competition with other schools.

“Being able to tell my story and my friends’ story and the story of robotics,” says Natorion, a junior at the Southwest Side school, “I really do love how our story connects together. It shows how you can improve even if something bad is going on in your life like Covid. You can still be positive about it.”

Four Curie High School students were recognized along with students from three other high schools on May 4 during an after-school event at the Gene Siskel Film Center downtown. The students had an opportunity to show short documentaries that they had developed during the past several months in partnership with two professional production companies, 247HH.com and We Are Light. It was part of Shifting Chicago Narratives, a partnership among Thrive Chicago, Chicago Public Schools’ Competency Based Education Program, Communities in Schools, and StriveTogether. The project’s goals include developing social and emotional learning skills such as self-awareness, building positive relationships, collaboration, and leadership. All of those attributes were reflected in Curie’s documentary, “Evolution,” which featured how students and educators worked together to make the Robotics Club a reality.

ABC 7 covered the event and developed a story that featured Natorion, “Evolution,” and other students including Micaela of Hyde Park Academy. Micaela’s film shares her story of losing her father to gun violence when she was 6 years old.

“It touches me a lot because I wanted my father to see who I was becoming as a woman,” says Micaela.

Watch ABC 7’s story

*Student films made their debut as part of the Shifting Chicago Narratives showcase.*

Two other high schools—Phoenix STEM Military Academy and Benito Juarez Community Academy—featured powerful films that elevated student voice and countered many existing portrayals of Black and Brown youth. Natorion and others said that more opportunities like Shifting Chicago Narratives are needed to allow young people to share their voice and ideas.

“We don’t really have opportunities like these where I can really think with my head and show who I am as a person,” he says.

Zataya Shackelford-Walter, Thrive’s Director of Youth Development, provided closing remarks at the showcase, where she echoed students’ desire for more initiatives that tap into the power of storytelling.

“There are thousands of other stories out there waiting to be heard and acted upon,” Zataya says. “Our hope is that this is just the beginning.”