MediaJustice/NCC Training & Soundscape Development Project

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT 

The project aims to train grantees and co-create with them to craft soundscapes which share and amplify their story of bringing Internet access and connectivity to their community: collages of stories, thoughts, and environmental sounds to articulate the impact of the Building Opportunities/Leveraging Technology (BOLT) grant on them and their community. This is an opportunity to document and show how the Internet and technology impact their lives by exploring both positive impacts and existing challenges. 

WHY IS THIS PROJECT IMPORTANT? 

BOLT program grantees work directly with communities whose voices and identities are often silenced, co-opted, and then pushed to the margins. In order to support BOLT grantees in their work, the project encourages the importance of listening to their voices and the voices of the communities they serve. Amplifying the truth for these grantees supports them to better be able to serve and support the communities they work with and funnel resources in the most meaningful way – firmly rooting the work in purpose and clarity of vision. The project helps grantees to define progress and innovation in their own terms. 

By training grantees, they are empowered with tools, knowledge, and skills to utilize when telling their stories. This places the power in the hands of cohort members and their respective communities once the trainings end. This way, the cohorts can determine whose voices should be included, empower those who they feel may be left out, and continue to capture community voices without dependence on the project.