Why We Do This Work

The fundamental intention behind Young Storytellers isn’t to create the next generation of screenwriters, but rather to develop creative learning behaviors in young people through the art of storytelling.

In Script to Stage, we use storytelling to help young people explore their creativity and imagination. We get them excited about writing by giving them a chance to write what they want. Plus, we pair them with a one-on-one mentor who shows up for them consistently and encourages the expression of their creative voice. Throughout the program, mentors give students the individualized attention and room to try new things, make mistakes, work through challenges, and make discoveries. We are committed to setting our students up for success, especially by tailoring the experience to their learning needs. The mentor finds out what works and doesn’t work for their writer and interacts with them in the way they learn best: visually, auditorily, kinesthetically, or some combination of all three. The YS classroom is structured a bit differently from the typical classroom so students have a space to discover their goals, strengths, likes/dislikes, learning style, and voice.

The world that young people operate in today is more complex, economically competitive, and interconnected than at any other time in human history. To ensure that students are fully prepared to meet the demands of the 21st Century, we engage them in a program to develop their ability to recognize and manage emotions, build relationships, solve interpersonal problems, and make effective and ethical decisions. We want our students to realize the impact that their thoughts, feelings, and words can have and that is at the core of all of our programs.