Inside Out is a large-scale, global participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Black and white photographic portraits reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. The global art movement was inspired by JR, an artist from Paris and the recipient of the TED Talk 2011 Prize.

To highlight March 21st, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Angela Brown, the Vancouver Board of Education's former Anti-racism & Diversity Mentor, reframed the Inside Out Project to include the power of storytelling as a means to bridge difference and understanding and to emphasize the importance of diversity in all school communities across the district.

Brown says the Vancouver Board of Education's Inside Out: Stories of Identity Project will provide an opportunity for students to feel represented, validated and empowered through the sharing of their lived experiences, family histories, immigration stories and the unique aspects of their identity of which they are most proud.

"Once stories are shared, photos of students are taken and enlarged into 3 X 5 feet posters," she says. "As representations of the students' stories, the students' photos are then displayed in a public space of meaning to the students and the school community."

Each school community's Inside Out 'action' (display of photos) as well as excerpts of students' stories (optional) will be 'pinned' on the "VSB's Inside Out: Stories of Identity Project" Pinterest site. This site will provide an opportunity for school communities to share their beautiful, diverse photographs and powerful stories with schools across the district. Please visit the Pinterest site embedded below.

Brown invites all Vancouver school communities to participate in this project to honour the attributes that help make each student, staff member and family in each community unique: race/ethnicity, sexuality, gender, class, ability and age.

To participate in this project, download the project's easy to follow guidelines by clicking here. 

To download the project's media consent form, click here.

To download storytelling lesson ideas and activities, click here.

To download a handy and easy to make glue recipe for your posters, click here.

To download a sample letter of request for community wall space, click here.

To read all about who has helped make this project possible, click here.

For a sample letter to request a local organization to donate supplies for the project, click here.

Visit Vancouver School Board's Inside Out: Stories of Identity Project's profile on Pinterest.