Chester High School

Why Visual Storytelling Is Important For Our Youth


Over the course of two months a group of 15 students learned the importance of embracing your story and understanding the story of peers. We explored these stories through basic photography, with an emphasis on the meaning behind an image versus the image itself.

Storytelling is universal to all forms of art, at its core stories told through visual arts specifically allows the viewer to peer into the artist’s mind in a way that language cannot always do. This feeling of being connected to a stranger was an important theme of our class.

WHAT DOES CREATIVE CONFIDENCE MEAN?

Why is it important?

“Researchers have found a strong correlation between the time teens began using smartphones a decade ago and a sharp rise in reports of serious mental health issues”

Beware of Social Media

Using social media platforms as a professional versus a consumer was another theme of our class. It is important to inform our youth of multiple industries. Digital marketing in particular has grown exponentially in recent years. This dependency on social media is a double edged sword, while the instructor educated the class on how to utilize the advantages of social media, a very clear message on the side-effects of social media was also delivered.

Course Description

This 8-week program taught students how to utilize basic photography to tell authentic stories and how to leverage storytelling as a business via social media platforms.

OBJECTIVES

  1. Fundamental usage of Instagram and iPhone photography

  2. First-steps on how to leverage visual storytelling through business

  3. Individuals will gain Creative Confidence to utilize in various mediums

  4. Individuals who complete this course will leave with a new community of creatives, creating a safe-place to bounce ideas off of each other