"Facing Dayton: Neighborhood Narratives" is a part of the nationwide storytelling project called the Facing Project, whose purpose is to create awareness about human rights issues and community assets to inspire social action. When the Fitz Center became a community partner, it began working with students and faculty in many disciplines to partner with members of the Dayton community to tell their stories.

With support from an Ohio Campus Compact grant, the University of Dayton partnered with CityWide Development Corp. and several Dayton neighborhood associations to create a collection of stories, videos and art from community members who have grown up or live in the Dayton neighborhoods. The goal: to capture the experience of living in Dayton and the challenges and advantages that go along with it.

The project culminated with a book shared throughout the community. The book is now available digitally in this collection along with individual stories, videos, works of art, research and promotional materials.

The graphic design artifacts in this collection, produced in the Typography II course taught by Misty Thomas-Trout, assistant professor of art and design, take as their subject matter the essays that appear in the book Facing Dayton: Neighborhood Narratives.