Conversations from the Open Road

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Conversations From the Open Road is a Road-Trip to experience our world in a meaningful way.

We are a citizen-journalism, media crew probing the challenging issues and individual stories in our communities.

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Celebrate with us at our PREMIER, September 29th

Burlington City Arts

Northeast U.S. - To learn how young people are engaged and participating in their communities, to counter the idea that youth don't vote and are apathetic

Oklahoma - To learn how people are coping, and benefitting, with extreme energy extraction in their backyard

Boston - To learn the inspiring action being taken to ameliorate housing insecurity

Vermont - To learn about wind energy development in our state

In Brief:

5 Open and Interested Students (high school and college)

1 Talented College Film Student

2 Charming Leaders ( A Once Secondary Teacher and a Freelance Film/Audio Professional)

8 Creative and Collaborative Geniuses

8 open and humble minds.

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10-14 days on the road

2 mini- vans, a collection of media equipment, and sleeping bags.

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This is a Citizen-Journalism, StoryCorps-inspired investigation;

Culminating in a collection of Mixed-Media Shorts,

reflecting the various threads of a place and its people.

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We start with a question, then road-trip to an area affected by the issues provoked by our question.

We learn from local people, experts in the field, and relevant organizations;

While also enjoying adventures from the local landscape.

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We will help to facilitate the process of earning credit from a student's host school, if desired.

Our Philosophy:

* We believe that learning from and listening to people is the cornerstone of a compassionate understanding of our world.

* Learning through Experience endures.

* Social and digital media is the most engaging, accessible, and democratic medium to share knowledge - and we love it!

* Traveling is Transformative.

* There is no single story, to any person and place. We are not shaping a documentary, but a collection of mixed-media shorts that reflect our experience of the complexity of a place and issue

* We are NOT looking for answers, but rather the humanity within every struggle and inspiration.

* Being a Citizen requires empathy, gained in knowledge and experience of the issues effecting our community.

* Genuine Knowledge comes from probing the complexity within every issue.

* Traveling, creating and learning collaboratively is an electric experience, and worth more than an individual pursuit.

* It is time to be Content-Creators, not just passive recipients of knowledge.

About Us:

We have worked in education and/or radio journalism and film for a decade. We haved joined our efforts to start this program in order to combine what we love: working with young adults, collaborative creation, expression through film, wrestling with current and relevant issues, and experiencing the varying geographies and cultures within our country.

Contact Info

conversationsfromtheopenroad@gmail.com

mary.beth.simons@gmail.com

Team

Aylie Baker

B.A. History, Middlebury College

Thomas J. Watson Fellow - Travelled to islands exploring the use of storytelling as a community-bulding tool

Vermont Folklife Center Fellow - Helped coordinate statewide Irene Storytelling Project

Michelle Lotker

B.S. Biology, Duke University

Certificate in Documentary Studies, The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University

Michelle loves nature, people, science, growing food and especially discovering, weaving and sharing stories around those topics. She's always looking forward to the next adventure, whether it's in her own back yard or on the Open Road!

Mary Simons

Founder and Director of Conversations From the Open Road

Mary taught in both independent and public, middle and high school, and in Connecticut and Vermont. She started this program in 2011 in order to knit her passions together - traveling, listening and learning from and with young adults, working creatively and collaboratively, and cultivating experiences in which to challenge and expand ourselves.

Mallory Falk

BA English & Creative Writing, Middlebury College

Certificate in Radio Storytelling and Production, Transom Story Workshop

Currently working with Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools - using mixed media as a tool for empowering youth voice.