How do we define Place?

What is place? 

What is my relationship with my place? 

How has my place impacted me & what is my impact on my place?

There are many ways we come to understand Place. There are a myriad of perspectives you could take - geographical, metaphorical, intellectual, or even spiritual. Place is a dynamic concept, and our perspectives can be ever changing.

The Place Story Project challenges Place Corps fellows to dive deep into our own understanding of Place from unique, individual methods of inquiry, observation, and research. 

First, we asked questions. What is my place? How does the history of place influence my perspective of place in the present? These questions prompted a series of inquiries based on personal experiences. We embarked on a research journey, seeking out how one can deepen an understanding of Place, community, and self through series of inquiries.

Then, with those questions in mind, we reached out to our community. Conducting research with the many tools available to us at the  Kingston Library, fellows were able to unearth images, newspapers, and texts of all kinds from the archive. One fellow explored the Kingston High School yearbooks, which dated back to the 1930’s. We explored the many stories documented through the Kingston TMI Project, some of which became pivotal research points. We reflected on how personal experience of Place and the many differing research methods can align to create a fuller understanding of Place. 

And finally, we shared these reflections with our community in the Place Story presentations. We were joined by family and community members to share the results of the our many months of research into Place. Our presentations were also moment a moment of shared vulnerability, as much of the Place Story research points back at ourselves & personal experiences. 

It was so special to be able to celebrate one another's accomplishments after a long research journey! Many celebrations followed, including homemade cannolis and a bit of bowling!!

With warmth,

Place Corps Team