Jocelyn Horner studies the relationship between creative self-expression and positive development among young people. While in residence she completed data analysis for her dissertation, Digital storytelling as positive development: African American adolescent women exploring the politics and possibilities of personal narrative, and held a planning retreat for HerStory NOLA, a young women’s storytelling and mentorship program that she founded.

Horner’s  dissertation research focuses on digital storytelling as an engagement strategy for youth engagement, examining how young women in New Orleans use personal narratives and stories to construct and share positive gender, racial and cultural identities. She is also interested in macro social work, community-engaged scholarship, feminist and participatory research methods, educational policy and the role of the arts in social justice.

A proud native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jocelyn holds a Bachelors degree in sociology and urban studies from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters degree in urban geography and environment from the London School of Economics. Prior to returning to school, Jocelyn worked for over five years in the non-profit sector in Pittsburgh, focusing on organizational development, youth & community engagement, and project design and evaluation. During that time, she held positions at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, The Sprout Fund and Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab.

Jocelyn was a 2004 Truman Scholar and most recently a graduate fellow at the Arts Council of New Orleans. She currently directs the HerStory NOLA program, an initiative that uses narrative storytelling and digital media to assist young women in the city of New Orleans in documenting the stories of their lives and communities.