Folktellers Studios: Storytelling for Literacy & Wellness Program

Storytelling for Literacy & Wellness Program

In the Folktellers Universe, whoever holds the story wields power.

The Folktellers Studios Storytelling for Literacy and Wellness Program is a fantasy film series designed to engage students in the interactive art of storytelling, emphasizing that everyone has an important story to tell while promoting a love for reading, filmmaking and the well-being of each other. By incorporating bibliotherapy, the therapeutic use of literature to support emotional healing and mental health, the program provides a safe outlet for processing emotions, building resilience, and fostering a sense of empowerment, which are key factors in reducing anxiety, stress, and feelings of isolation among youth.[1][2]. Storytelling allows young people to explore personal challenges through characters and themes, inspiring them to share their experiences and seek support, which can enhance overall well-being and encourage open conversations about the struggles of life [3][4].

This all-inclusive educator's kit has been designed to engage students in the art of storytelling using multimedia. It may be integrated into any group or standard school curriculum. What's great is that all the program materials are included in our Storytelling for Literacy media kit. Through team-oriented classroom activities, participants not only develop creative skills but also benefit mentally by building social connections through collaborative filmmaking, which helps combat loneliness and promotes empathy, vital for emotional health in a digital age [5][6].

In addition, we've also created a Homeschool version of the program to address the growing needs of at-home educators, allowing families to facilitate storytelling sessions that support individual emotional growth and family bonding, further aiding mental health by creating supportive home environments for discussing feelings [7].

The program supports the following educational disciplines:

• Reading and Literacy
• Emotional Well-Being and Resilience (through narrative exploration of personal stories)
• STEM
• Writing Composition
• Geography, International Studies and World Cultures
• Multimedia Communications
• Team Dynamics and Public Speaking
• Self-Empowerment and Self-Esteem Building

The ultimate goal is to promote visual literacy, the ability to read, write, and create visual images using technology, while enhancing positive healthy outcomes.

Visual literacy is about language, communication, and interaction, serving as a linguistic tool with which children communicate, exchange ideas, and navigate our highly visual digital world. By incorporating mental health themes, the program helps students deal with fears, worries, and real-life stressors in a safe, fictionalized context, boosting confidence, reducing stigma around mental health issues, and fostering long-term well-being [8][9][10]. As they read from the award-winning children’s books, either individually or as a group, students will create their own video stories using characters and themes from the books, allowing them to reflect on and apply positive psychology concepts like gratitude and perseverance to their own lives [11].

Duration:This flexible, easy-to-facilitate program allows teachers to blend it into their existing curriculum over the course of the school year, providing ongoing opportunities for personal check-ins through reflective storytelling activities.

Program Capstone

The capstone project for this program will be a storytelling movie contest.

Students will use themes from the books, working in teams or as individuals, to produce their own movie trailer (usually no more than 2-3 minutes in length). Final video trailers may be voted on within the classroom or school, with FOLKIE Awards given out to all participants using materials from the Storytelling for Literacy media kit. Participants may also submit their video entries to the national FOLKIE Awards, which are announced annually in late February to coincide with OSCAR week in Hollywood. Our national winner will receive a grand prize, including a special Folktellers visit to their participating school. This contest not only celebrates creativity but also reinforces mental health benefits by encouraging students to externalize their stories, which can lead to catharsis, increased self-esteem, and a greater willingness to discuss personal issues with peers and adults [12][13].

What's in the Program Kits

Educators can order Storytelling for Literacy & Wellness Program Kits, which includes the following materials needed to implement the program effectively:

• 30 books per classroom (Children or young-adult award-winning novels)
• 30 participant awards
• 30 Folktellers bookmarks
• 1 first-place winner award
• Red carpet runner
• Team Dynamics and Public Speaking
• Program instructions

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References

1. How Bibliotherapy Can Help Students Open Up About Their Mental Health
2. How Storytelling Is Good for Your Mental Health
3. The impact of storytelling on building resilience in children
4. Benefits of Positive Psychology-Based Story Reading on Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being
5. Using storytelling as a teaching tool in therapy
6. The Mental Health Benefits of Reading
7. The power of storytelling for health impact
8. Can Reading Improve Children's Mental Health?
9. Reading for life-long health
10. How Reading and Storytelling Can Improve a Child's Health
11. What Does Reading Have To Do with Children's Mental Health?
12. How Summer Reading Boosts Youth Mental Health
13. Reading for Life: The Impact of Youth Literacy on Health Outcomes