Seeing and Believing
The undergraduate and graduate students partaking in our Seeing and Believing on Campus project at Grand Valley State University with the Kaufman Interfaith Institute have been nothing short of spectacular.
Using our method combines amateur photography and structured dialogue, participants engaged each other in consistently rich and challenging conversation and the photos and stories shared have been impactful and often vulnerable. The project was designed to strengthen relationships on campus, create a sense of solidarity and belonging among the participating students, raise awareness of experiential differences on campus, and instigate change.
Liz English, the Program Coordinator at Kaufman, spoke with excitement about how the cohort came together.
“Our students continue to enter into this space with their eyes and ears wide open, delving deeply into what can be vulnerable conversations and learning how to ask good questions of each other. Natural themes are beginning to emerge from the discussions, as are key distinctions in both the approach to the weekly prompts and the group’s experiences. I am so grateful to be in the room.”
For those located in the West Michigan area, Seeing and Believing culminates in an in-person exhibit at GVSU starting Thursday, April 11th where the exhibit will open in the lobby of Kirkhof Center on GVSU's Allendale Campus from 10am-5pm. Coffee and cocoa available from 11-4pm.
On Friday, April 12th, the exhibit will be a part of the President's Reach Higher Showcase - a public, interactive, exhibition-style event showcasing the work of GVSU faculty, staff, and students. A collection of participants’ photos will be on display in the Gordon Gallery as a part of this exciting event.
After these two receptions, the GVSU Interfaith Photovoice Exhibition will move to the Kaufman Interfaith Institute's main programming space on the Health Campus.
Keep your eyes on this space and make sure you’re signed up for the Interfaith Photovoice newsletter, Vantage Points, to hear more about the project from the participants in the coming weeks.
