Health narratives

We believe that a crucial step toward improving health outcomes lies in the narrative surrounding health. This starts with embracing a comprehensive perspective that centers on communities experiencing the greatest barriers to optimal health and creating more understanding of community health and wellbeing.  Below you’ll find a few projects we support in an effort to change the narrative around health.

ThreeSixty Journalism

ThreeSixty Journalism is a multimedia storytelling program for Minnesota youth, grounded in the principles of journalism and focused on contributing to more accurate narratives and representative newsrooms. For the past seven years, we have partnered with ThreeSixty in a multi-award winning TV and multimedia storytelling program. The program focuses on health narrative change, ensuring voices are given to all communities, creating greater understanding of where and why health happens, and developing the next generation of storytellers.

Learn more about the 2024 Multimedia Storytelling Camp

 

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In partnership with Blue Cross, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) supports high school students to explore community health through the medium of art. In its fourth year, the Teen Perspectives program empowers youth to reflect on overcoming barriers to health through art, to enable healing and ultimately create healthier communities.

During the seven-week program, 18 students were mentored by local teaching artists Leslie Barlow, Kprecia Ambers, Akiko Ostlund, and others. Students explored topics related to mental health and wellbeing, drawing on their own lived experiences when creating artwork. Additionally, students drew inspiration from the exhibition Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys.

The Teen Perspectives program uses a multi-generational approach, bringing professional artists and youth together to engage in creative storytelling through art and share their perspectives on creating healthier communities.  The partnership between professional artists and local high school students has been an impactful way to mobilize change and transform health in our state.