Project 4: Young Storytellers Program
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
Maya Angelou
Overview
This year I facilitated the launch of the Young Storytellers Program at Para Los Ninos Charter School and served as the liaison for the program. “The Young Storytellers Foundation (www.youngstorytellers.com) develops literacy through the art of storytelling. Using group exercises and on-on-one mentoring, we provide underserved children in the public school system an opportunity to write stories and see them brought to life through performance”. The Foundation’s mission is to “inspire children using their own voice”.
The program is free, extremely self-sufficient and low maintenance. The students meet with their mentors after-school on Tuesday afternoons for 8 weeks. It does not interfere with the regular instructional program. The head mentor leads the group in various activities and then the mentors work with their writers one-on-one to write an original screenplay. At the end of the 8 weeks there is a “Big Show”. The writers invite their friends, family and fellow classmates to a stage to watch their stories performed live by actors.
For the initial year we did one spring session. In subsequent years there will be a fall session and a spring session. A 5th grade teacher leader has volunteered to be the liaison next year in order to assure its sustainability.
Main Activities
- Meet with leadership team and executive director of Young Storytellers Foundation to plan the launch of YSP at PLN
- Recruit 10 community volunteers
- Attend training meeting for volunteers (April 2, 2013)
- Administer pre-assessments
- Conduct 8 weekly one-on-one mentoring sessions between community volunteers and 10 PLN 5th grade students (April 2- May 14th)
- Help with logistics for The Big Show on May 21st, noon, at Inner City Arts
- Attend the Big Show (all 5th grade students and families of writers)
- Follow up lesson with the entire 5th grade. Topic: how to write a screenplay
Reflection
I was responsible for bringing the Young Storytellers Program to my former school, where I was the liaison for the program for 7 years. The program was an immediate success. As neighbors with a similar vision of serving marginalized students, I was confident that Para Los Niños and the Young Storytellers would be a good match.
One of the special things about this program is that they encourage teachers to select the most marginalized students to participate in the program. They request students who have demonstrated difficulty succeeding in school for various reasons. Seeing the dramatic positive change in these students over such a short amount of time brings me to tears each and every time.
Another unique aspect of this program is that it is community based. Between the ten volunteer mentors and the ten to twelve volunteer actors for the Big Show, community members are given an opportunity to engage with their local school in an authentic, impactful and rewarding way. Likewise, students are given the opportunity to build social capital by interacting with community members. I strongly believe in and support community partnerships. This project was a joy to work on and I am delighted to have brought Para Los Niños and the Young Storytellers Foundation together for a partnership that will hopefully continue to flourish.
Connection to CPSEL
My role as the liaison for the Young Storytellers provided me with the opportunity to work on standard 2 and standard 4 of the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders:
CPSEL Standard 2
Advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
CPSEL Standard
Collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
Supporting Documents
