BVR academics: Using the power of storytelling to bring joy in uncertain times

Posted on May 18, 2020

Class: The Art of Storytelling
Grade: 12th
Teacher: Debi Ellman
Partnership: Ellis, a local early childhood education center

This spring, students in the senior English elective, The Art of Storytelling, and Ellis, a local early childhood education center, found a shared objective: using the power of storytelling to bring joy in uncertain times. 

Teacher Debi Ellman asked her students to create a children’s book while using the elements of storytelling they had learned in class. Simultaneously, Ellis and Liz Latour, the Director of the Hiatt Center, had connected about how the Beaver community could help build out a virtual library for the center. 

In response, the class recorded themselves reading their original stories to be shared with children and their families at Ellis. The result was an imaginative project that connected older and younger students in a meaningful way. 

Here are some examples of what Beaver seniors created:  

Ellis is committed to providing high-quality early learning opportunities in addition to out of school time programs in a socio-economically, racially, and culturally diverse environment.

Want to contribute your work? Consider submitting your own story to Ellis by following these guidelines