About the Nonprofit
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More than a place of learning, schools are anchors for and reflections of the neighborhoods they serve, creating a unique lens for local history and visual storytelling. The Story of Our Schools (SOOS) celebrates the role of schools by empowering students to research and create permanent, museum-quality exhibits that share their “school story” with the broader community. Our collaborative exhibit design process makes community stories visible and helps cement belonging in today’s changing city.
Guided by our staff and curriculum – teachers, families, community leaders, and local arts and humanities professionals show students how to research, curate, visually represent and design a meaningful exhibit showcasing their school and community history. These hands-on, arts and humanities experiences aim to deepen neighborhood ties around schools and give students space to explore issues important to themselves and their communities. We envision our project taking place in every school in the District interested in understanding, creating, and sharing their school story while maintaining a focus on collaborating with schools who may not otherwise have the resources to do this work.
SOOS launched in 2015 by Jen Harris, an experienced photographer, exhibit designer, DC resident, and parent. To date, SOOS projects have reached over 4,500 students in 12 schools across 6 wards in DC public schools. We prioritize equity in access and over 75% of our school partnerships are with Title I funded schools. 100% of our exhibits feature local community members and leaders underrepresented in other museum venues.
