Episode 2: Preserving Heritage, Community Spaces & Cultural Stories
By Chelsea Zhu
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In this episode of The Vision Lab: Youth Voices for Change, Lead Incubator Mentee Chelsea speaks with Seri Warden, Senior Director of Preservation Programs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, about the power of preserving heritage, protecting community spaces, and honoring the stories that shape our collective identity.
Chelsea shares the inspiration behind The Empathy Collective, a digital archive dedicated to cultural exchange, oral histories, and youth storytelling. Together, she and Sari explore how historic preservation extends beyond landmarks to include local restaurants, gathering places, cultural institutions, and the everyday spaces that foster connection, resilience, and belonging.
From community-driven preservation efforts to climate resilience and the role of storytelling in safeguarding history, this conversation highlights how individuals of all ages can help protect the places and stories that matter most.
The Vision Lab: Youth Voices for Change is a production by Girls Write Now.
Host: Lead Incubator Mentee Chelsea Zhu
Guest: Sari Worden, Senior Director of Preservation Programs, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Producer: Jessica Jagtiani
Editor: Jessica Jagtiani
Intro/Outro: Christine Obiamalu
Girls Write Now Podcasts
The Vision Lab: Youth Voices for Change
The Vision Lab is a project created through the Girls Write Now Lead Incubator Journey. Here, young change makers share their stories, projects, and insights as they work to make a difference in their communities and the world. Each episode is hosted by a Lead Incubator mentee who invites an expert to join them in the conversation about their social activism and community-driven work. Listen in as they explore big questions, bold ideas, and the vital role young leaders play in creating meaningful change today.
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Speaking in First Draft
An Interview Podcast Platforming the Current & Next Generation of Storytellers.
Members of the Girls Write Now community share a draft of one of their works in progress and discuss both the writing process and what creative expression looks like to them.Listeners have the opportunity to engage with the inner machinations and perspectives of writers, producers, and artists from a diversity of ethnic, gender, age, socioeconomic, and professional backgrounds.
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