I just had breakfast with Marco and 4 of his former students who are in town to teach teachers their multimedia tools. These students have now graduated from college and have started their own non-profit educational professional development consultation company. They are teaching teachers in schools how to implement their visions. They are writing proposals to open a community center where they can give free digital story telling workshops and help their community capture their stories.
The impact of this project is in the legacy of the graduates and in a community that is forever changed. In short, the program did not end when Marco left to work as an educational consultant, it was reborn in several different new ways. The students went to college. They now teach teachers how to do what they learned how to do. There are independent small businesses born - young adults that can help other community businesses with media in their message.
I thought you'd like to know. When I asked them about the end of the program, they all said at once "it isn't over, it was the seeds for change for the rest of our lives." They are keeping this message alive. They are now running the program as volunteers and looking for funding. It lives in the community, not in the school. There is a new teacher being hired for the school program.
Sharing this update,
Mads
