HistoryCraft invites you to move beyond the history textbook and into a hands-on, collaborative storytelling adventure through the Japanese American World War II experience.
CREATED BY YOU, NOT FOR YOU
This isn’t a passive exhibit or a pre-made gallery. In HistoryCraft, participants are the creators, and the depth of the journey is found in the act of making. You aren’t just walking through a story but instead you are discovering it as you build it.
Each HistoryCraft session will result in the transformation of a blank space into a unique, immersive history environment created entirely by the collective work of the group.
Each art piece was connected to a story about a family member living in the camp.
SCHEDULING A HISTORYCRAFT WORKSHOP
Please contact us if your organization would like to schedule a HistoryCraft workshop. We work with schools, libraries, museums, community centers, and other educational organizations.
In the Los Angeles area, we can come to your facility to help run the workshop. Outside of the Los Angeles area (and even internationally), we can provide you with a HistoryCraft design kit and hands-on guidance and support to help you host a HistoryCraft workshop at your location.
THE EXPERIENCE
In this immersive storytelling workshop, you won’t just learn history, you’ll help build it. Working in small, creative teams, you will:
- Craft with Your Hands: Use physical art materials to build tangible pieces of a family’s journey.
- Construct a Narrative: Use your creations to tell the personal story of an individual family member navigating the challenges of the wartime era.
- Collaborate on Building an Immersive Environment: Watch as your team’s unique story weaves into a larger, overarching tapestry of a Japanese American family’s life and the community’s collective history.
- Earn a digital badge to share on LinkedIn or social media and add to your resume.
WHY IT MATTERS
HistoryCraft is more than an art project and designed to spark deep reflection on justice, resilience, and why these lessons are more urgent than ever in our modern landscape.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Everyone of all ages! Whether you’re a history buff or know nothing about the subject, you belong here.
No prior knowledge of Japanese American history is required. Just come with an open mind and a willingness to share.
PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE
See the HistoryCraft – How It Works page for details about the workshop.
“Thank you for presenting the HistoryCraft collaborative history storytelling experience. It truly was all that – history, education and fun. You balanced the educational and artistic aspects of the program perfectly. The audience was engaged and entertained, which was proven by what they all had to say at the end of the program.”
— Amy F., HistoryCraft Participant
MORE INFORMATION
To get on to our sign up list or for more information about HistoryCraft, please fill out this interest form.
HistoryCraft was made possible with support from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.
HistoryCraft is a production of GameTrain Learning, a nonprofit educational organization.
