Inviting Storytelling into Your Homeschool or Classroom

"Fairy tales have positive uses in education...They convey knowledge of the world, shrewd lessons of virtue and vice, of common sense and sense of humour…they foster sympathy with nature, and no class of child-literature has done so much to inculcate the love of animals. They cultivate the imagination…”

- Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing

In 2020 I put together these resources for the Northeast Storytelling organization. I recently updated all of the links and added some new resources

Every storyteller knows how effective stories are in the classroom, complementing every aspect of the core curriculum and learning style. As a teaching artist and professional storyteller, I have taught over eight hundred children the art of Oral Tradition for the past twenty-four years and witnessed firsthand how valuable it is for my students. It has augmented their learning in a variety of ways:

• improved their writing skills
• enhanced their vocabulary
• increased their cultural knowledge
• sparked their imaginations
• strengthened their self-confidence
• developed positive interaction with their peers 

Many of my students continue to use story and storytelling in diverse areas of their classroom work, in elementary, high school, college and into the business arena. It is a lifelong skill that will always serve them well.

Whether a child is learning remotely this year or has returned to the classroom, I hope you will consider merging storytelling into your activities, both to enlighten and entertain.  

CURRICULUM RESOURCES

ABC Teach - Several ideas and links for story writing prompts on a variety of subjects and age levels.
https://www.abcteach.com/resources/

Aesop and Ananse: Animal Fables and Trickster Tales – These lesson plans students will help students “become familiar with fables and trickster tales from different cultural traditions…”
https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/aesop-and-ananse-animal-fables-and-trickster-tales

Dragons and Fairy Tales in Science Class – “Using stories as a hook to grab students’ attention leads them to deep engagement with scientific concepts.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/dragons-and-fairy-tales-science-class/

Education World.com - Lesson plans on Ten Characters from American Folklore, Pecos Bill, Daniel Boone, Johnny Appleseed, and more.
https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp279-04.shtml

Exploring World Cultures Through Folk Tales - Students will gain an appreciation of other cultures as they read and research folktales from around the world and present their story and research to the class.
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-world-cultures-through  

Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World - Lesson plans, information and stories, everything you need to introduce your students to those globe-trotting tricksters, Anansi, Brer Rabbit, Fox, and Rabbit.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED478844.pdf

Fractured Fairytales – “This interactive tool gives students a choice of three fairy tales to read. They are then guided to choose a variety of changes, which they use to compose a fractured fairy tale to print off and illustrate. Useful for teaching point of view, setting, plot, as well as fairy tale conventions …this tool encourages students to use their imaginations and the writing process at the same time.”
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/fractured-fairy-tales

Guiding Students to Use Storytelling Across the Curriculum – “Teachers in any subject can have students use storytelling techniques to demonstrate learning, and these story generation strategies can help them get started.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/storytelling-framework-learning/

How to Tell Great Stories in the Classroom
https://www.trevormuir.com/blog/how-to-tell-great-stories-in-the-classroom

Kennedy Center - "Lesson plans, activities, and other resources that focus on telling stories through theater, music, dance, writing, and visual arts."
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/collections/collections/storytelling/

Learning Math by Seeing It as a Story – “An English teacher co-teaching trigonometry asked students to explain an equation to a child and to turn discrete problems into a story.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/learning-math-seeing-it-story/

MathsThroughstories.org – This site offers book, lesson plans, how-to books, research articles and more to combine math and story!
https://www.mathsthroughstories.org/

PBS Storytelling: Oral Traditions
Note: If you use the search tool on this site and type the word storytelling, you will find a plethora or articles and videos on the art of Oral Tradition.
https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/echo07.lan.stories.lporaltrad/storytelling-oral-traditions/ 

Story Elements Alive! English Language Arts – “After working collaboratively, students engage in independent activities such as completing a character map; a setting illustration; a problem/solution chart; a beginning, middle, and ending activity; and a story map.”
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/story-elements-alive

Storytelling and the Common Core Standards - If you are seeking information on how storytelling connects with the Common Core, YES (Youth, Education and Storytellers) offers a comprehensive, downloadable document full of information to make your case.
https://storynet.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/STandCCS-June2012.pdf

Storytelling and Drama – Carol Read shares how to “incorporate story-based lessons and drama activities into the English-language classroom.”
https://www.onestopenglish.com/stories-and-poems/storytelling-and-drama/156981.article

Storytelling in the Social Studies Classroom – “Students tell their own stories and explore the stories of other Americans. Hearing and telling these stories helps students realize that social studies is not simply the study of history, but an exploration of real people and their lives.”
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/storytelling-social-studies-classroom

ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS

Developing Student Storytelling Skills to Set Up Future Career Success – “Anthropologists have long understood that storytelling helps us engage with others, share emotions, and find common ground through personal experiences. It’s a part of our makeup as humans.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodberger/2019/10/04/developing-student-storytelling-skills-to-set-up-future-career-success/

How Stories Connect and Persuade Us: Unleashing The Brain Power of Narrative
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/11/815573198/how-stories-connect-and-persuade-us-unleashing-the-brain-power-of-narrative

National Council Teachers of English: Teaching Storytelling Position Statement
“Story is the best vehicle for passing on factual information. Historical figures and events linger in children’s minds when communicated by way of a narrative. The facts about how plants and animals develop, how numbers work, or how government policy influences history—any topic, for that matter—can be incorporated into story form…”
https://ncte.org/statement/teaching-storytelling-position-statements/

Storytelling in the First Three Years – An important article from The National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. In part it states, “The richer the repertoire of storytelling styles a child is exposed to, the more possibilities for that child to develop his or her own powerful narrative voice…” There are additional resources on literacy, play, brain development and more.
https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/storytelling-in-the-first-three-years/

Storytelling, Story Acting and Literacy in the Boston Public Schools – Fascinating interview about the program, Boston Listens, “based on Vivian Paley’s innovative storytelling and story-acting approach.”
https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2022/03/6-2-interview-storytelling-story-acting-and-literacy_0.pdf

Twelve Way to Integrate Storytelling in the Classroom – “Storytelling is a powerful method of communication… Following a character on a journey of exploration, empathizing with the character’s problem, yearning for a solution, and reveling in the outcome helps to shape our mental state.”
https://vhlblog.vistahigherlearning.com/twelve-ways-to-integrate-storytelling-in-the-classroom.html

What Makes Storytelling So Effective For Learning? - Harvard Business Impact
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-for-learning/

BOOKS TO COMPLEMENT THE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM

Easy to Read Folktale Plays to Teach Conflict Resolution
Easy-to-read Folktale Plays To Teach Conflict Resolution - Hollenbeck, Kathleen M: 9780439249874 - AbeBooks

Science Through Storytelling: Strategies for the K-5 Classroom
https://www.powells.com/book/science-with-storytelling-strategies-for-the-k-5-classroom-9780786498185 

The Storytelling Classroom- Applications Across the Curriculum
https://www.abebooks.com/Storytelling-Classroom-Applications-Across-Curriculum-Norfolk/32328199654/bd

Story by Story: Creating a School Storytelling Troupe & Making the Common Core Exciting 
https://www.parkhurstbrothers.com/story-by-story.html

Super Simple Storytelling: A Can-Do Guide for Every Classroom, Every Day
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/super-simple-storytelling-kendall-haven/1149277036

Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/teaching-with-story-margaret-read-macdonald/1114982677

Write Right: Creative Storytelling Techniques
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/write-right-kendall-haven/1132780381

STORIES

Looking for stories to share with your children? These three websites will lead the way.

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts – By far one of the most comprehensive sites on folklore and mythology from around the world. The tales are numerous and grouped alphabetically by genre.
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

Storybug Blog – This is my own blog where you will find thousands of stories on almost any culture, theme, subject, and holiday.
https://karenchace.blogspot.com/

SOMETHING EXTRA

Drama Source – Created for drama teachers but there are games, strategies and lesson plans for parents and teachers alike.
https://dramaresource.com/

Education World.com - Fourteen icebreakers to make the first day of school run smooth as silk. They would be fun to use throughout the year as well. https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy001.shtml

Learning Together: Educational Resources – Art, Music, Math and More – This is a blog filled with resources I put together when we first moved into remote learning. Lots of terrific information here.
https://karenchace.blogspot.com/2020/03/learning-together-educational-resources.html

 

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace, and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2026 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com  or karenchace.stories@gmail.com .  Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page, or Twitter please feel free to do so; I appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

Forging a New Frontier

I wrote this article for the National Storytelling Magazine in 2008. I came across it today in my files and thought I would share it here in the hopes it might inspire other storytellers to say “yes” to a request that helps them stretch their storytelling skills. 

Forging a New Frontier © 
by Karen Chace

The call came a week before Christmas. I was contacted by Anne, Vice President of a local Massachusetts company; plans for their 75^th anniversary celebration were underway and they wanted a storyteller to write and perform their story. She shared some of the details and their vision for the evening.  She wanted it to be fun, upbeat and entertaining. I was intrigued. I can do this!

Then I asked the million-dollar question. “When is the celebration taking place?”  “In two weeks,” came the reply. The answer rocked me back on my heels. Only two weeks to interview, research, write and learn the piece? Can I really do this? I was doubtful and shared my concerns. She assured me the employees would be writing letters about their corporate experiences. They were compiling a book to present to the founders’ sons during the celebration; she would forward their letters to assist me in creating the piece. My mind ping-ponged back again. Okay, yes, I can do this!

Then I watched the first week slip away.  With the holiday rush upon us, the letters arrived at a painstakingly slow pace. The letters offered professional snapshots of the business, and I discovered a common thread, the respect employees at every tier held for the founders and each other. Yet critical elements were missing — there were no personal vignettes that would bring this story to life. What were the founders like beyond their office walls? During the past decades, surely there were some light-hearted moments, challenges faced, tales of camaraderie, and kindnesses that are the heart of what makes a company not only succeed, but flourish for 75 years.

I read the letters again, searching for something to latch onto and found buried within them, two teasers that begged further explanation. One person wrote, “I remember the time the roof collapsed.” Another reminisced, “I remember the nickname Speedo.” There had to be stories behind those casual, off-hand remarks!                                                                   

With one week left, I pleaded with Anne for more information. “Put me in touch with those who know the timeline of the company, both professional and personal.”  I compiled a list of questions and sent them to those who submitted the letters, hoping they would respond with some personal memories. 

The next day the president of the company phoned. We talked for hours; he shared a detailed timeline from the company’s inception during the Great Depression to the present day. I inquired about the roof collapse and found out it was indeed a great story! I questioned him about the mysterious Speedo as well. Laughingly, he admitted he was the owner of that mysterious moniker; his company cohorts bestowed it upon him after a hard-fought swimming race at the company picnic long before he carried the title of president. 

Conversations with other employees followed; I cautiously prodded for personal tidbits, and the stories began to flow. I soon realized that while the interview questions were important, the best tools were my own two ears. As I listened intently and let them freely talk, rare gems in the form of memories began to fall from their lips, reminiscent of the folktale Diamonds and Toads.

Once the pieces were gathered, the question of how to frame the story came into play. Anne wanted to keep it light and funny, but the president was very specific about the many important names and events he wanted mentioned. With less than a week to spare, I felt like I was lost in the woods without a compass. 

I kept trying to find a way to give it a folktale feel; I did not want it to be merely a recitation of facts.  Finally, a single sentence in one of the letters sparked an idea. Years ago, an important client offered the owners another business to represent, but only on one condition— cease working with their competitor or they would take their business elsewhere. The fateful scene was described as “The day two men came in wearing black hats…" Instantly, a Tall Tale with a western theme popped into my head. But how could I tie it all together? 

Since the company began in 1932, I researched that year; it was one of the worst years of the Great Depression. I had my opening! I juxtaposed the difficulties of the Depression with the hardships of the Wild West, comparing the founders to cowboys in search of new frontiers. I continued to research, gathering facts and jargon that would link the western theme with the business story and found that cowboys lived by their own set of unwritten rules known as the Code of the West. 

The Code was a perfect analogy for the relationship the founders forged with their employees and clients through the years.
 

• Welcome strangers
• Honesty is absolute
• Your word is your bond
• Always help someone in need
• Live by the Golden Rule

Using the timeline provided by the president, I separated the story into decades, weaving the important names and client information with comical vignettes gathered from the interviews. 

I completed the story with only one day to spare, a day devoted to practicing the tale I would deliver the next evening. The room was overflowing with people dressed in their finest as the Boston skyline shimmered in the distance. An overwhelming nervousness washed over me. How would the story be received? But as I began, conversations stopped, eyes focused and their body language spoke the silent words we all love to hear, “I am listening.” At the end of the performance, the greatest compliment was spoken silently as well — when the Chairman of the Board rose to shake my hand, there were tears in his eyes.

Karen Chace 2026 ©

This blog post was written by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com  or karenchace.stories@gmail.com .  Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Reindeer Antler Game: Toss Your Story

Vintage Postcard
Circa 1907-1915

Yesterday was our last storytelling class before holiday break. I decided to add some extra winter fun to our time together.

We played a reindeer toss game; all connected to their story. I had two boxes of the reindeer toss game, one with two antlers, the other with one. The game is found in many stores; it is very inexpensive and can be purchase for approximately $7.00. (Picture below) 

I separated my students into three equal lines. I had eighteen students in attendance that day. Three of students were reindeer, the remaining fifteen were in lines of five. Numbers will obviously be different in other groups.

            

Directions

Each student has three chances (three is the magic number in fairy tales) to ‘ring’ the antlers. If they succeed, they go back to the end of their team’s line.

 If they didn’t manage to ring an antler, they rolled the dice (large foam dice found at any Dollar Store.) Next time I will use three dice so students in each line don't have to wait to roll.

Whatever number they rolled they answered according to the number that came up. Of course, you can change the statements as you choose for your students. I used these as we had already worked on these elements. 

These are the details that correspond to the numbers:

1. Share dialogue from your story using an emotion you give them.

2, Describe a character from your story.

3. Tell something from the middle of your story.

4. Tell the end of your story.

5. Describe something in your story using one of the five senses.

6. Describe a gesture in your story and share the gesture.

Note: In our previous classes they already completed worksheets specific to their individual story, regarding character description, dialogue, gestures, and the five senses. 

• Character Creation
• Giant Gestures
• Sensory Steppingstones

That made it a little easier to answer those questions. If you have my book, these are the worksheets within.

They had a blast and asked to play the reindeer game again when we return. I will think of new ways to switch it up.

If you use it in your storytelling or classroom work, I ask only for the courtesy of attribution. I hope you have fun with this new winter storytelling game.

 

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2025 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com  or karenchace.stories@gmail.com .  Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page, or Twitter please feel free to do so; I appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Once Upon a Generation: Bridging the Generations One Story at a Time

Note: Andrea Lovett and I originally authored this article for the New England Storytelling (NEST) website in 2021. We continue to offer this program, pairing our storytelling students from elementary, middle, high school, and college with our local senior citizens. 

“When an elder dies a library burns down.” – African Proverb

Once upon a time a little boy saw a sepia toned picture of a stunning young woman with a mischievous smile sitting on a wooden stoop, leaning back, striking a pin up girl pose. “Who’s that?” he asked. “That’s your grandmother.” Shocked and surprised he couldn’t believe that his beloved grandmother was the same young woman in the photo. That moment led to more questions. “How old is she?’ “Where is she?”  “What is she doing?” “Who’s taking the picture?” The idea that this woman led a different, full, interesting life before he was born sparked the idea for our Once Upon a Generation program in 2015 that continues to this day.

Once Upon a Generation © is a twelve-week intergenerational program connecting senior citizens with middle school students through story. We pair storytelling students from Karen’s after-school Story Explorers program with local senior citizens for a ten-week workshop and finish with two community performances. The students are selected for their storytelling abilities, their level of maturity and ability to collaborate with the seniors.

Each year we reach out to senior citizens through the Council on Aging (COA) organizations in Freetown and Lakeville. Details about the upcoming program are published in their newsletters, along with a date and time for an informational meeting learn more about our work. Funding for the program is secured through a grant from the Massachusetts Local Cultural Council program.

GATHERING THE STORIES

The foundation for this program is to connect the generations through story, shining a light on a world that in many ways, no longer exists. There is always an assortment of stories. While some tales are incredibly profound.

• Surviving a devastating hurricane barreling up the coast before the 24-hour weather channel.
• Coping with the loss a parent at an early age.
• The childhood confusion of finding out your best friend, a person of color, is not welcome at the same ice cream counter.
• Transitioning from a friendly, rural school to a city high school becomes the target of bullies.
• How a child lived through the Great Depression when a glass of water froze over night because there was no heat in the home.

others are lighthearted and fun.

• Seeing the technological wonders at the 1964 New York World’s Fair for the first time.
• The excitement of winning a new bicycle at a local amusement park.
• The panic of a five-year-old child being chased by a rooster on the family farm.
• Winning the Betty Crocker Award.

Many experiences are foreign to the students, going to school in a one-room schoolhouse, milking cows on the family farm, living in a huge city tenement with sixteen 

  

separate apartments, being the only family on the block with a television set or having no television at all.

Certain memories are more familiar, going to your first school dance, playing Little League Baseball, and summer camp, or a surprising tale of two best friends in kindergarten who decide, “We’ve had enough!”  and decide to run away from their strict Catholic school!

No matter the topic, these stories offer a glimpse into their childhood that will create a bonding experience between the seniors and students.

The first three sessions are exclusively for the seniors, collaborating with them to find a memory from their lives, between the ages of five and twenty-five, sharing what life was like in the last century. The first few years of the program the seniors would arrive with snippets, anecdotes from their lives. We discuss which memory would make the best story for performance and they select the story they will develop.

In 2018 Rick was new to the program. He came to our first session with two story ideas. He described his first story; it was about the cat he now owned. While endearing, it did not fit the period we were seeking. We said, “Tell us about the second story.” What happened next stunned everyone into silence. Rick began to share his experiences during the race riots of the 1960’s and was present when Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.

As we dug deeper, we learned how his musical abilities helped calm a group of families barricaded inside a church as the riots raged around them, then making his way home as military tanks drove through the streets and finally meeting Coretta Scott King after her husband’s assassination. When he finished, we shouted in unison, “That’s the story!” Now, seven years later, the seniors who have been with us from the beginning arrive not only with a solid story idea but with their story already written down.

During those initial three weeks we guide them, using worksheets and interactive activities to strengthen and edit their story. They learn a mixture of the storytelling skills the students will use in performance, gesture, expression, dialogue, and sensory details to assist their storytelling partner in transporting their story from the page to the stage.

PAIRING SENIORS, STORYTELLERS, AND STORIES

On the fourth week our seniors and storytellers meet for the first time. Prior to this class we decide which student(s) and senior will be paired together. Although several of our seniors and students return each year, we don’t necessarily pair the same senior and student together each time. The tone of the story and the individual strengths of each student are considered and discussed before we make our final decision. Sometimes two students will tell one of the senior’s stories in tandem.

The students listen to the stories then pair off with their senior, interviewing them to elicit more story details. Later, everyone comes together to play entertaining storytelling games that help us learn more about each other. Each step of this process helps them become further acquainted, a key component to begin the bonding process between both generations.

FINE TUNING THE STORIES

 

The following six weeks we meet with only the students. They have latitude, or ‘literary license’ in rewriting the senior’s story in their own words, fleshing it out, editing it down when necessary, and adding additional dialogue. We use various storytelling worksheets to help them break down and enhance the story further, utilizing sensory details and imagery. There are also fun, interactive storytelling games to get the story into their bones. There is also structured coaching time from us and their peers.

As our class time together winds down the seniors return for a sneak peek to hear what the students have accomplished with their personal stories. The storytellers perform for the seniors, receive encouraging feedback, along with the opportunity to make any changes. We also incorporate additional time for more storytelling games between the two groups to reinforce their connection.

We meet one last time with the students to put the finishing touches on their performances, participate in additional storytelling games, and go over our plans for the upcoming public performances.

PERFORMANCE TIME

The culmination of the project includes two public performances. This requires a bit of coordination between the students and seniors’ schedules, as well as when the performance facilities are available for our use.

At the very beginning of the program, we reach out to local organizations who might be interested in hosting the program. We’ve produced performances at the school library, the local public library, and a historical museum. During the pandemic we reverted to Zoom, inviting the students and seniors to appear on Karen’s cable television show, the Story Café in Seekonk, MA. This also allowed us to bring the program to a wider audience, outside of our community.

Both events are free, open to family, friends, and the community. We publicize the events via local newspapers, community bulletin boards, and social media. We also invite the local cable company to videotape the performance to air for the Freetown/Lakeville community.

The final performance includes a panel discussion, where the audience participates in a 

Q & A, asking the students and seniors specific questions about their experiences with the program, their stories, and the relationships they have cultivated. At the end of the evening there is an award presentation for all participants.

PIVOTING DURING A PANDEMIC

In 2020 the world stopped, and our work suffered. Yet, we decided to move forward with the program using Zoom. But would our seniors embrace this new challenge? We shouldn’t have been concerned as each one jumped into the technology pool with both feet. Using old technology, the telephone, we guided the seniors through the Zoom landscape. Although there were a few comical pitfalls. During one session a senior struggled to get his computer camera working. He continually called out, “I can hear you, but I can’t see you.” We frantically tried everything. Nothing worked but he continued with the session, using only his audio function. Later, Andrea reached out to him privately, attempting to solve the problem, only to discover he had placed duct tape on his camera lens because he was concerned about his personal privacy. Mystery solved!

Using Zoom allowed us to continue with the program, but more importantly, to remain connected with everyone during a very isolating time.

We even took the final performance ‘on the road’ via a Zoom performance on Seekonk Channel 9. You may listen to the stories here:
http://cable9.dyndns.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/7751?channel=1  

 

 

 

TODAY…

Walking down the hallway of the Council on Aging in Lakeville, MA we hear excited chatter coming from the open door of our classroom.

“I know just the story I am going to tell this year. It’s about the time I decided to get lost in a snowstorm in New Hampshire. I was about eleven years old.”

 Another voice answers, “Oh I want to hear that one.”

 “My story is about Little League baseball this year. A game I didn’t like to play.”

 Laughter spills from the room. 

We give each other a knowing smile before entering. These voices are from our seniors in the Once Upon a Generation program ready to begin a new year. One of the most satisfying and unexpected outcomes of this program is the strong, personal relationships formed beyond the confines of the meeting room walls. Frequently we’ve overheard conversations unrelated to the program. For example, “Hey Pat, you want to try that new restaurant? We’ll call you next week.” 

And these connections extend to the students as well. The one comment echoed by both seniors and students every year is, “We wish we could spend more time together!”

We continue to modify the program, learning new things to enhance the experience for all; it is always a work in progress. While it is bittersweet saying goodbye each year, we know the genuine friendships established over the past months and years will bring us back together again, eager to share and hear brand new stories. Josie, one of our student storytellers, expressed it best, "Everyone deserves to have their story told."

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2025 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com  or karenchace.stories@gmail.com .  Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I appreciate your support and personal integrity.