The Soul of Athens multimedia project started in 2007 as a showcase that explored the characters and stories of Athens, Ohio; a small community in the foothills of Appalachia. Beginning in the spring of each year, student photographers, videographers, writers, and designers collaborate to publish a series of visual narratives. It began with the question: What makes Athens unique? Now in its fifth year, the 2011 installment has taken a new direction. The Soul of Athens team carries on the storytelling tradition by asking a new question: How do people dream differently today?

"Our Dreams are Different," is the newest Soul of Athens edition, created, designed, edited and delivered by the students of the School of Visual Communication and including students from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. The stories in this project examine the American Dream — how the dream has changed, how it persists, as well as the myths and realities of its unending pursuit. By telling these stories in the small towns of Southeast Ohio, our goal is to help folks better understand our communities, our neighbors, and ourselves.