How can a digital storytelling project be formed? In this series we present projects from around the world to give you inspiration to your work with digital storytelling.

Several projects about digital storytelling have evolved since Joe Lambert and Dana Atchley first came up with the idea of making workshops with digital stories in 1993. One of these is the Digital Clubhouse project.

Digital Clubhouse is a digital storytelling project with two Clubhouses so far, one centered in Silicon Valley, California and another in New York City. In the clubhouses people of all ages come together in an effort to create new applications for digital technology. The mission is to use of the media to enrich education and lifelong learning, promote public health, preserve history, and encourage a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity (Digiclub.org).

All programs and projects are free in the sense that everyone who participates must “pay back” in terms of tutoring the next group of participants. The Digital Clubhouses offer different kinds of programs, from programs in creating a personal digital story to programs that are devoted to preserving the stories

of the American nation’s war veterans and programs geared toward telling the stories of ethnic minorities and making a community for people at risk.

The Digital Clubhouse is based on the methods of Center for Digital Storytelling. The programs are also similar to programs thought at the Center for Digital Storytelling, except for the obligations of every participant to contribute her/his time and effort after completing a program. It’s a good example of a user-driven project. Moreover it shows how seniors and youth can benefit from each other and bridge a divide in age.

To read more about Digital Clubhouse, please visit www.digiclub.org.