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PROGRAM ELEMENTS:

• The Summer Training Conference
• The “Final Project”
• Scholarship Awards
• Selecting a Local Visionary

The Training Conference

All selected Fellows attend a five-day conference held at Howard University in Washington, DC. During this annual seminar, Fellows receive instruction and hands-on training in the skills necessary to meet the objectives of the program. The conference will include:

 

• Oral history research and interviewing techniques

• A small group project in which students videotape an oral history interview

• Student development of a “project completion plan” for the Fall semester independent study course

• Intimate discussions with National Visionaries

• The opportunity to meet other students from across the country and explore Washington, DC.

All Fellows must attend the training conference, where the fundamentals for successful completion of the project are learned and practiced. NVLP underwrites all expenses including transportation, accommodations, meals and materials.

During the training conference, each Fellow will receive a comprehensive course handbook, which outlines course requirements and student responsibilities, including the “Final Project.”

The “Final Project” includes the following materials which will be explained to students during the conference. Students must submit these materials to NVLP by the end of the fall independent study course:

1. All original video and audio tapes of the interview
2. Signed appearance release form from the Local Visionary
3. Signed materials release form from the Local Visionary
4. Signed release form from the student Fellow
5. Log sheet of 10 interview excerpts, i.e. list of ten significant or compelling stories from the interview
6. One to two page biography of the Local Visionary
7. One-page autobiography of the student
8. Completed photographic log form, i.e. a list of select personal historical photos of the Local Visionary and those taken during the interview (with and without the Fellow)
9. Printout of all photos in the photo log
10. A five to seven page paper on the historical context and significance of the Local Visionary’s achievements, which should incorporate the Visionary’s personal photos, and will be linked to a page on the NVLP website created just for that Visionary
11. A bibliography of all sources used

2008 Fellows are required to tape their interviews by October 26, 2008. This deadline allows sufficient time to complete the remaining requirements and send the final project to NVLP by December 15.

Upon completion of the Final Project, excerpts from the Fellows’ videotaped oral history interview will be placed on the NVLP web site alongside our National Visionaries.

 

Scholarship Awards

In addition, each year during the summer conference, NVLP awards scholarships to the three most complete, well-researched and executed projects from the previous year.

The first-place scholarship is $3,000, second place is $2,000 and the third-place cash prize is $1,000.

Selecting a Local Visionary

 

What is a Local Visionary?

A Local Visionary is an individual in your community, at least 70 years-old, who has made significant contributions to their individual community and to the larger African American community through their accomplishments, in such areas as leadership, teaching, scholarship, and the arts. Local Visionaries are typically leaders whose passion and efforts have deeply impacted local society.

 

How do I Select a Local Visionary?

Local Visionaries exist in every community. Consider individuals who inspire, and perhaps motivate you, individuals whose efforts and struggles have clearly contributed to the ongoing improvement of their overall community.  Local Visionaries may be community organizers, members of faith communities, leaders in business and industry, politicians, artists, writers, academics, etc. Select a person who will enhance our collective awareness of community connections, and increase our understanding of the role one person can play in creating social, political, and economic change.

Consider the following organizations in locating a Local Visionary:

• Historically African American churches
• Historically black secondary schools
• Historically black colleges and universities
• Chapters of black professional organizations
• Chapters of black fraternal organizations
• Museums, performing arts centers, or community centers
• Local social services or youth organizations (YMCA, YWCA, Salvation Army, Urban League, Boys and Girls Cub of America)

If using the internet, consider using a search engine, such as Google.com. Type in “African American”+local+hero+(your home state). You may narrow your search by typing in your hometown and a particular career field.

Your school will have databases such as Lexis Nexus or EthnicWatch that should be explored. Make sure to take advantage of your school’s library.

 

How do I Confirm My Chosen Visionary’s Participation in this Project?

After you have identified a Local Visionary, you are in a position to approach them and request their participation. Before asking a Local Visionary to be a potential interviewee, it is very important that you are able to speak knowledgably and intelligently on the following:

• The goals and objectives of the Visionary Heritage Fellows Program
• Your role as recorder of their life stories and personal achievements
• The outcomes of this project

Make sure to inquire about your Local Visionary’s schedule, and make sure that they will be available when you are ready to conduct the interview.