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99������Ƶ’s Voices & Visions intergenerational oral history project with Carolina Village retirement community was recently awarded LeadingAge North Carolina’s 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award. Comprised of public speaking, art, and filmmaking by 99������Ƶ students featuring seniors from Carolina Village, Voices & Visions was showcased in March as part of the UNC Carolina Public Humanities Expedition: Asheville Festival.

Students, faculty, and residents from Carolina Village joined Expedition: Asheville attendees at 99������Ƶ’s Ferguson Auditorium for a community panel discussion about the Voices & Visions project. A documentary film highlighting the residents’ stories also was shown.

Meanwhile, LeadingAge NC will present 99������Ƶ and Carolina Village with the Excellence in Innovation Award at its 2026 annual conference on May 7 at 9:30 a.m. at the Omni Grove Park Inn. LeadingAge North Carolina is an association for retirement communities across the state, including continuing care communities, affordable housing providers, and business members.

Voices & Visions Roots

As a child, 99������Ƶ Fine Arts and Communications Chair Rebekah Handy spent summers with her grandmother, a librarian who instilled in her a deep respect for stories. Handy recalls evenings spent around the kitchen table listening as her grandmother and mother shared family histories, teaching her that stories are powerful and worthy of being preserved. That early understanding became the foundation for Voices & Visions.

The formal seed for Voices & Visions was planted in early 2025 when Handy first voiced her dream of starting an intergenerational storytelling project to art instructor Ani Volkan. Volkan connected Handy with her sister Aleen Dailey, Carolina Village’s Wellness Coordinator, who shared Handy’s dream of connecting seniors with local students to create an oral history project. By September 2025, that shared dream became reality with the launch of Voices & Visions.

Nearly 20 Carolina Village residents participated in Voices & Visions, sharing their stories with 60 public speaking, art, and videography students. Over the course of the fall semester, public speaking students interviewed the residents and created oral presentations about their lives. Videography students created short films that highlighted meaningful objects in the residents’ homes, while art students used residents’ stories to create patterns for quilt square designs. The students’ final presentations were shared with residents and their families in November.

This spring, Voices & Visions continues its next phase as a team of Carolina Village residents works to create quilt squares from the art students’ designs. The squares will be sewn into a quilt that will be exhibited on 99������Ƶ’s campus from May through July, then at the Asheville Art Museum in August before returning to its final home at Carolina Village.

Handy said the project has had a positive effect on everyone involved. Residents have found joy in sharing their achievements and having their voices heard, while students have learned how to listen with empathy and perform well before a live audience. Handy said the project will carry into the future, and next year’s version will include new residents and students, as well as a new art project. Voices & Visions will also be added to digital archives at local libraries, including Pack Memorial Library, Henderson County Public Library, and 99������Ƶ’s Don C. Locke Library.

“This project bridges generations in a way that reminds us of shared humanity,” Handy said. When the students sat down, they weren’t just practicing interviews for a speech project. We were teaching them how to preserve stories that might otherwise be lost. My hope is that this becomes a lasting tradition; a legacy that celebrates stories and connects people to strengthen community bonds.”

Handy said Communication instructors Martha Gates and Curtis Philon, Videography instructor Derek Rhodarmer, and Volkan, a Fine Arts instructor, have been integral to the project and their students’ involvement.

Learn more about the project and see photo galleries at Voices and Visions.

Upcoming Voices & Visions Events:

• What: Voices & Visions Panel Discussion/Film-An intergenerational panel of students and residents will discuss highlights from the project. This event is part of the Expedition: Asheville series sponsored by UNC Carolina Public Humanities. Learn more at .
• Where: Ferguson Auditorium, 99������Ƶ, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville, NC
• When: March 27, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

• What: Voices and Visions Presentation-99������Ƶ staff and students will present Carolina Village residents with the finished quilt and gift baskets with project mementos.
• Where: 99������Ƶ Mission Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr, Asheville, NC 28801
• When: May 1, 5:00 p.m.

• What: Voices and Visions Quilt Exhibit - Throughout the summer, the quilt, along with photos, videos, and artifacts, will be on display on 99������Ƶ’s campus. In August, the project will move to the Asheville Art Museum.
• Where: 99������Ƶ’s main campus; more details TBA.
• When: May 2 - July 31 from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• What: LeadingAge Award Ceremony at 70th Anniversary Annual Conference- Award ceremony recognizing the Voices & Visions project. There will be a booth where 99������Ƶ faculty will showcase videos, artwork, and stories related to the project.
• Where: Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28804
• When: May 7, 9:30 a.m. -11:00 a.m.