BCALA NEWS Volume 41, Issue 3

Summer 2014

43

with their teachers. The teachers had the students well prepared, in terms of their preparation in classes and the training they had regarding reaching consensus with each other. One challenge was the coming and going of students who had other duties, such as ROTC. There was also a facility lockdown one week, due to behavioral issues, that prevented us from being able to work with the students.

P.C.: How did the work benefit from using these incarcerated teens?

K.G.: These incarcerated students did a great job of writing the story using their voices, which is the vernacular of the target population for the study. They based their ideas for the graphic novel’s plot / characters / setting on experiences in their lives. They were able to write a story that was realistic for teens because, unfortunately, HIV/AIDS is close to home for many of them. For example, one young man’s uncle passed away from AIDS right before we started the project. Other students informed us that they knew, or had known, relatives and friends who had died of AIDS.

P.C.: What benefits do you think came to the teens themselves for being involved on this project?

K.G.: The students benefited in several ways from their participation in the project. They became more engaged and confident writers, and they recognized that the project helped them to improve their literary and communication skills. Some of the comments they made included:

• ‘‘You are learning a lot of different things including social and communication skills” • ‘‘(It) helped us brush up on writing skills because it was a different genre / different way to express yourself – not full sentences.”

• ‘‘It helped writing skills – helped with the flow of the story” • ‘‘It gave us the experience to write a book and be a part of a creative thing.” • ‘‘We overcame difficulties and came to consensus.” • ‘‘We were working with persuasive / debating skills.”

In addition to improving their literary skills, the students told us that there were other benefits from their participating in the project. For example, one student said that the project, ‘‘made you aware of the disease and how easy it is to get it.” Another student reported getting tested for HIV while he was home on a break. Also, after the project ended, the teacher told us that some students said that family members were going to get tested after learning more about HIV/AIDS from the participants.

When the project ended the students received a lot of attention from the media, including the New York Times, MSNBC, and USA Today. The publicity helped them understand the positive impact that their graphic novel could have on others. For example, when asked, ‘‘How do you feel about your work being shared with others?” they responded:

• ‘‘Humbled” • ‘‘It will encourage the use of more protection by men.” • ‘‘It will inspire others to get tested.” • ‘‘(It is) beneficial – has something to teach about the world.” • ‘‘I took part in something that was inspirational and beneficial – a novel that people can relate to in life because I know people who have HIV’s and STD’s.” • ‘‘Amazing experience because it is beneficial for other people”

Finally, this summer we learned what a lasting impact the project has had on two of the students’ lives. One of the students was transferred to the South Carolina State Penitentiary to begin serving a sentence of ten years. His [English language arts] teacher informed us that