The Power of Storytelling

Partnership with Jet Propulsion Lab For more than a decade, ISC has worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) on high-profile space exploration projects. Focusing on education, ISC helped develop special programming for the general public (through storytelling performance), for schoolteachers (through regional workshops), and for JPL itself (by working with its scientists). In 2004, NASA invited Syd Lieberman into the control room to witness the first Mars rover landing. Jointly commissioned by ISC and NASA, Lieberman later shared the story of that historic event with audiences in Jonesborough and beyond—the first in what would become a series of groundbreaking collaborations between prominent storytellers and NASA.

Storytelling in Business In 1998, ISC hosted the first in a series of forums on organizational storytelling. Attracting representatives from organizations like the World Bank, Walt Disney, Capital One, and Harvard to Jonesborough, this pioneering work ignited the explosion of public interest in storytelling in business. Building on this effort, in 2004 ISC commissioned a comprehensive study on storytelling in business, education, and peacemaking conducted by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Following a successful regional workshop, ISC launched a national leadership training initiative for the United Way of America in 2008. Leading a series of workshops at the Center in Jonesborough and in venues across the country, ISC trained United Way leaders in how to use storytelling to enhance the organization’s communications efforts, fundraising events, internal management, anEdit MoreOrClick & start typing or Drag an item from the cart below.It's possible to leave this empty.Using Storytelling in nonprofit leadershipFollowing a successful regional workshop, ISC launched a national leadership training initiative for the United Way of America in 2008. Leading a series of workshops at the Center in Jonesborough and in venues across the country, ISC trained United Way leaders in how to use storytelling to enhance the organization’s communications efforts, fundraising events, internal management, and impact on communities. The collaboration marked ISC’s first opportunity to use storytelling as a training tool within a national organization.d impact on communities. The collaboration marked ISC’s first opportunity to use storytelling as a training tool within a national organization.Using Storytelling in nonprofit leadershipFollowing a successful regional workshop, ISC launched a national leadership training initiative for the United Way of America in 2008. Leading a series of workshops at the Center in Jonesborough and in venues across the country, ISC trained United Way leaders in how to use storytelling to enhance the organization’s communications efforts, fundraising events, internal management, and impact on communities. The collaboration marked ISC’s first opportunity to use storytelling as a training tool within a national organization.

The Comoros Project In a project funded by the US Department of State, ISC has been working with the National Museum of Comoros, in the African city of Moroni, since 2012. Together, the institutions are developing a community-based program that uses story collecting and storytelling to promote positive social change across the nation of Comoros. The ISC staff, as well as ISC President Emeritus Jimmy Neil Smith, are working to establish the museum as a center for Comorian culture and a hub for storytelling and community conversation. Exhibits at the museum, as well as school-based curricula, will help teach indigenous history, traditions, and culture.

Confronting Contention: Deploying Culture in Conflict Resolution ISC is partnering with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage for a special workshop on cross-cultural empathy. The 2014 event will bring together cultural heritage professionals, peace-building professionals, educators, and programming specialists to explore best practices in cross-cultural documentary processes, public programming and interdisciplinary exchange. While art and other cultural works are often viewed as a byproduct of peace-building activities, this workshop will support museums and other cultural organizations in using art and other culture work as a primary tool in resolving conflict.

A listening station at the International Storytelling Center

National Storytelling Festival Digital Archive Development In recognition of the national importance of ISC’s rich storytelling treasury, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and East Tennessee State University have partnered with ISC to digitize its extensive collection of National Storytelling Festival archival recordings. This ambitious project will make decades’ worth of performances from the Festival widely available for education and entertainment. Learners of all ages will have access to the archival performances as well as customized teaching materials that reinforce learning.

Here at ISC, we recently embarked on an exciting series of projects with Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort. It turns out that Dolly’s still dreaming, and her most recent dream has been to build a beautiful hotel that will create even more opportunities for our region. Our collaboration is based on the shared values of using storytelling to bring families together, to promote positive change, and to inspire. Together, we’re making sure that stories of the region, future guests, and Dolly herself will all be part of the resort’s DNA

Dreaming Big with Dolly Parton

Storytelling & Veterans’ Voices Since 2005, ISC has helped U.S. veterans heal and share their stories. In partnership with the Library of Congress, ISC produced a theatrical piece and a workshop as part of the Veterans History Project. ISC also mounted a special exhibit in partnership with the Smithsonian that local veterans attended. In 2008, ISC hosted a special performance by the internationally acclaimed director Armand Volkas, as well as a series of drama therapy workshops. These projects recognize and validate veterans’ experiences and help audiences better understand those experiences through storytelling.