Storybox
Sharing stories to build trust, strengthen teams, and increase community cohesion.
The Challenge
We live in increasingly divided communities where the perceived differences between groups with different backgrounds often outweighs what they actually have in common. This often leads to segregated groups of people with strong differing viewpoints and little empathy for others.
Our Approach
Local story-sharing events that bring diverse local communities one story closer to each other. Community facilitators use a ready-to-go program containing everything they need to run events, including our popular question cards, promotional materials, access to impact reporting tools and facilitation training.
Stats and Impact
Built on two years of community research, co-design and prototyping
Now running in 44 communities across 9 states
Participants range from 12 to over 80
557 people took part in 79 events during the pilot phase
Programs have been carried out by public libraries, non-profit organizations, companies, and community groups.
See Storybox in Action:
Funding
Download the 2019 Recap
“I love it. I love the questions because of the way they spark memories — things I had forgotten about or hadn’t thought about in years. As I get older, I feel an urgency to share what I know.”
— Anita Davis
“I think the combination of these tools
and the cards and the questions are
really powerful. I’ve had the experience
of working with groups and asking one question, which was talk about something about your childhood, and two out of ten people were extremely uncomfortable
with that. ‘I don’t want to talk about my childhood - don’t make me.’ So giving them the option of getting to some of these purposes through a di erent door, I think is really brilliant.”
— Elisa Speranza
“I really enjoyed conjuring up old stories that I hadn’t thought about in a long time. I re-connected with my own memories of good times in my life. You go away with good feelings.”