Over the past two months, we’ve made a lot of progress on an idea we’ve been rapidly prototyping – getting a group of people together for a one-off, 60 minute, engaging event where we hear and tell stories that join the dots of what we have in common. Very soon, we hope to help anyone who’d like to run these sessions to do so, using them as a force for building understanding, empathy, and respect.

Since our last update, we’ve completed ten rounds of storytelling prototypes, including USA team events held in New Mexico, Louisiana, and California. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, new Historypin team member Faith Toledo ran a prototyping event with AmeriCorps students and mentors. In New Orleans, Louisiana, Jon Voss and new team member Lynette Johnson ran events with students, professors and staff from SUNO University. And in San Francisco, California, I ran an event with students, teachers, and mentors at the non-profit New Door Ventures.

As Phase 1 comes to end with the completion of these events, we’re taking our learnings to Phase 2, where we’ll refine the prototyping kit and take a look at how libraries, museums, and other institutions might adapt them for use in their own communities.

Below are some snapshots of our recent events. Stay tuned for more in coming issues of this newsletter, and look for additional updates @historypin.