First 10 / Next 10 Digital Story Campaign
Reflecting on a Decade of Truth and Reconciliation efforts at Trent University – and where we go next…
In 2025, Canada marks the 10-year anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report and its 94 Calls to Action. At Trent University, the First 10 / Next 10 Digital Story Campaign invites our community – students, faculty, staff, and campus groups – to reflect on the first decade of reconciliation work and to envision the next.
Origin & Inspiration
The name of this project is inspired by the First 10 / Next 10: TRC Poster Series, an initiative of the National Indigenous Peoples Day and Orange Shirt Day Planning Circle at Toronto Metropolitan University. For more information, visit https://www.torontomu.ca/indigenous/programs-initiatives/first10-next10.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Planning Circle and TMU for originating this powerful concept and for setting a national example of reflection, accountability, and shared learning in response to the TRC’s Calls to Action. Trent’s adaptation continues this spirit through digital storytelling – using short videos to bring reconciliation stories to life through voice, image, and experience.
Why Digital Stories?
We believe stories are at the heart of reconciliation. Digital storytelling adds depth and connection by allowing voices to be heard, faces to be seen, and relationships to be felt. Each story can:
- Bring learning to life by weaving together images, narration, and lived experience.
- Foster accountability by linking initiatives directly to specific TRC Calls to Action.
- Create lasting resources that can be revisited as touchstones and reminders in the years ahead.
- Inspire collaboration and shared learning by sparking new conversations across campus.
What You’ll Create
Each participating unit or individual will help create a 3-5 minute digital story that highlights one initiative connected to Truth and Reconciliation and outlines a long-term goal they are committed to pursuing.
Once you’ve booked a session, our Multimedia E-Learning Specialist will guide you through the process – helping to record, edit, and bring your story to life. All you need to do is sit down and share your reflections; the Trent Teaching Commons will take care of the rest.
These stories will form a lasting archive of reconciliation in action at Trent – an archive rooted in accountability, relationship, and collective learning.
Recording sessions will take place between October and December 2025, with booking available through the First 10 / Next 10 Digital Story Intake Form. The final digital stories will be released in January 2026, launching an online archive that honours winter as a time of reflection and storytelling.
Benefits of Participation
Participating in the campaign is a way to:
- Celebrate reconciliation work and recognize those who made it possible.
- Share knowledge and good practices across departments and programs.
- Identify gaps and opportunities for the next ten years.
- Commit to continued action toward Truth and Reconciliation.
How to Participate
- Begin the conversation
Talk within your faculty, program, office, or student association about initiatives you’ve undertaken (2015-2025) that connect to Truth and Reconciliation and/or specific Calls to Action. - Complete the intake form and book your session
Open the First 10 / Next 10 Digital Story Intake Form to register your interest, share a few details about your story, and book a time with our Multimedia E-Learning Specialist. Our Specialist will guide you through the process and help record, edit, and bring your story to life. - Prepare your materials
Focus on one clear initiative and gather any photos, screenshots, short video clips, or testimonials you’d like to include.
A Collective Call to Action
The First 10 / Next 10 Digital Story Campaign is more than a showcase – it’s an invitation to reflect, to share, and to act. By looking back at the first decade of reconciliation work and naming our next steps, we hold ourselves accountable to Indigenous peoples and to our shared responsibilities as a university community.
Contact & Support
- General Inquiries: teachingcommons@trentu.ca
- First 10 / Next 10 Digital Story Campaign Coordination: mhuguenin@trentu.ca
- Multimedia Support: jbailey@trentu.ca
