The Brimstone Award for Applied Storytelling supports a model storytelling project that is service-oriented, based in a community or organization, and to some extent replicable in other places and situations. We are confident that the four projects above will inspire excellence in applied storytelling work and communicate to new audiences the humanitarian possibilities of storytelling.
Regan Brooks – Story Works Alaska
Story Works Alaska brings teams of volunteer storytellers and story coaches (one coach for every three students) into high schools to conduct workshops that have helped youth produce over 700 true, personal stories in the first year and a half as a program. Currently, their work serves high school students in the community of Anchorage, Alaska, home to some of the most diverse high schools in the US. Feedback from past participants indicates that sharing and listening to their peers’ stories can help them grow beyond assumptions about each other and towards a better understanding.
Intergenerational connection and storytelling between youth and the community drives the continual growth of this program. Oral storytelling is a deeply rooted tradition in Alaska Native culture, and an essential communication skill in keeping human traditions alive.
This community project is sustained by the efforts of dedicated teachers, students, and the volunteers who work with them. Their volunteers include journalists, scientists, non-profit professionals, planners, nurses, doctors, counselors, lawyers, members of the military, retired teachers and two mathematicians.
To learn more, find resources, or get involved, please visit Story Works Alaska at storyworksak.org