Untold Stories

By Runjini Raman 

Charles Dickens’ famous novel, David Copperfield, begins with the line, “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” I think that’s a first line most of us could use for our own novel. But for incarcerated youth, the sentiment is pertinent.

I’m convinced that creative writing and sharing stories can make the difference between affliction and acceptance, between anger and understanding.  Especially for youth. Maybe their story began with crime, drugs, illegal activity – but the story isn’t over. The essential belief is this: In order for the story to change, you first have to tell it. You have to turn an ugly story into something sensible, fierce, artistic (who cares if it’s “good” or “bad”), and then you ask for change.

So, thankfully, the Center for Education Excellence in Alternative Settings (CEEAS) is giving incarcerated youth a place to start. Similar to their former initiative, Words Unlocked, CEEAS has created a curriculum for teachers to use with incarcerated students that will allow them to craft either a personal narrative or an expository essay and an accompanying visual art piece.This rigorous curriculum, called Untold Stories, is art-infused, differentiated, and interesting. It is tied into the Common Core, and it enables teachers to essentially work with students to become stronger writers, while they tell an important story and actively address their trauma. 

Any teacher can use this curriculum for free, and many, many resources can be found on the wiki, in multiple formats. The Winning essays will be published in Richard Ross’ forthcoming book, Juvie Talk. What an exciting opportunity for incarcerated children and young adults!

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Runjini Raman is a communications associate for MetisNet. 

photo credit: http://untoldstoriesceeas.wikispaces.com/