Meet the Fellows 2022
please be sure to check back as we'll be adding more information about the 2022 Fellows shortly
Rufus Elliott, a citizen of the Monacan Indian Nation, will be working to preserve and digitize oral history and song and ceremony recording. “[B]y creating a searchable database of oral history and ceremonial songs more Monacans will be able to have access to their own history and culture. Digital files could be uploaded to a central location and made available to Monacan citizens anywhere in the world. By making our culture more accessible in a digital age the tribe will preserve the deep ties to its ancestors and maintain its unique identity in the face of colonization.”
Lorenzo Dickerson, a local filmmaker and photographer, will be creating a documentary short film, aimed at K-12 ages, telling the story of Henry “Box” Brown, an enslaved man who shipped himself to freedom and advocated for abolition. “This short film will help to bring greater awareness to an important story of resilience from right here in Central Virginia. Henry "Box" Brown himself was a storyteller sharing the experiences of African-Americans and bringing awareness to others of how his people had been treated, and how inequitable their experiences were. Telling Henry's story is an attempt to carry on the importance of the work he himself did.”
Jose Luiz Hernandez and Ramiro Vasquez are graduates of Conecta2, 2021 Community Fellows-in-Residence Edgar Lara and Maria Rodriquez Esparza’s digital literacy course. Their project will be designing a Spanish-language driver’s education curriculum to assist recent immigrants to obtain their Virginia driver’s license. “En 2020, se aprobó la ley que abrió la oportunidad de obtener una licencia de conducir sin importar el estatus migratorio. Esto fue una gran victoria para todos, creando algo que hará las carreteras más seguras y que ayudará al estado económicamente. Pero una realidad es que mucha gente migrante, quiere contribuir con esto pero tal vez nunca tuvieron la oportunidad de terminar la educación primaria o secundaria. Para estas personas, lograr pasar el examen de conocimientos es un gran desafío y también son las personas en que se enfocará este programa.”
[English translation: In 2020, a law passed provided the opportunity to obtain a driver's license regardless of immigration status. This was a huge win for everyone, creating something that will make the roads safer and help the state financially. However, the reality is that many want to take advantage of this but face challenges as many did not have the opportunity to finish primary or secondary education. For these people, passing the knowledge test is a great challenge. This program will focus on supporting this group.]
Destiny Moore, a parent and the founder of Growth Mindsets, is working to create a program to help adolescents navigate turbulent times in their lives. “Growth Mindsets will focus primarily on middle and High school youths. This age group is particularly problematic and a perfect time for mentoring to be effective. The goal of the program is to identify youths who are going have a turbulent transition to adulthood and offer positive support system to avoid the pitfalls that can derail their lives.”