STORY NO.

24

Young Storytellers

by Bill Thompson

Our plan

Young Storytellers (www.youngstorytellers.com) originated in 1997, when three students at the American Film Institute learned of cutbacks in funding for creative arts programs in the Los Angeles public schools. Together, they developed a six-week, one-hour-per-week curriculum and, with seven other writers, they offered the first Young Storytellers session at the Playa Del Ray School in Venice, CA. From there, the program continued to expand. In 2003, in order to ensure the integrity and longevity of the Young Storytellers program, Pamela Colburn and Jay Gibson, two long-time mentors, established the Young Storytellers Foundation as a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization. The Young Storytellers Foundation currently runs its program twice a year at over 30 Los Angeles schools and has served over 10,000 children. The Young Storytellers Foundation offers a means of self expression to kids at a time when public schools have dwindling opportunities for artistic and creative activities within the established curriculum. Our belief is a simple one: that every child has natural storytelling ability. In each school in which we operate the program, we pair 10 elementary school students with 10 creative professionals – all volunteers – who, over the course of six weekly meetings, guide and encourage students as they imagine, develop and write their own short screenplay. At the end of the six-week session, professional actors -- all volunteers -- join students and mentors in staging The Big Show, a spirited staged reading of each script for an audience of family, teachers and friends.

What we did

We execute our program by welcoming each student into the program as the talented, capable and creative artist they are from the first moment they walk into our classroom. Each mentor serves only as a facilitator. The student is the storyteller – of every idea, plot, character, and word. By coaching and providing positive reinforcement, mentors reveal the young writers’ inherent talent, giving them the opportunity to fully explore and express their individual creative voices.

Our results

The Young Storytellers Foundation has a 100% success rate; each student leaves the program with a brilliant and creative five to seven page screenplay. After The Big Show, the young writers take a final bow before a much-deserved standing ovation. This final step brings the community together to celebrate each child’s creativity. The positive effect of the program on the self-esteem, social behavior and academic life of each student is truly remarkable.

Discuss this story

Add to the discussion

Your email address won't show up with your comment.

*required fields
  • *
  • *
  • *
Security message (please type the word below)
simple_captcha.jpg
Get Adobe Flash player

Close X

Olivia Allen
Oakland, CA