Educator
Willamette University
Joy Davenport was selected from a competitive field of applicants to serve as the Teppola Distinguished Presidential Scholar at Willamette University for the 2023/2024 academic year. During her time there she developed a new video production program for Willamette students, comprising classes in Documentary Ethics, Single Camera Production, and Post-Production. Students were introduced to professional production standards and learned how to operate cameras, lights, and audio equipment while producing both nonfiction and scripted videos.
Young Filmmaker's Workshop
Through a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, during the summer of 2018, 17 high school students from the Mississippi Delta participated in a free 5-week intensive filmmakers' workshop. The workshop was hosted at Gentry High School within the Sunflower County Consolidated School District. The workshop was taught by filmmakers Joy Davenport, Pablo Correa and RJ Fitzpatrick. The workshop engaged students in the art of making their own video stories using professional grade equipment and studying the life and legacy of civil rights activist and Sunflower County native, Fannie Lou Hamer. Workshop leaders also encouraged students to examine the racial barriers that still exist and impact young people today and to look for positive solutions through reflective conversations.