The Story Pop-Up
Our Story Pop-Up program supports BIPOC teens and young adults (14-24 years old) by enhancing communication and creative skills for academic and professional success while also celebrating their cultural heritage and promoting cultural participation through storytelling coaching and live events.
The experience
The Story Pop-Up Series is a program that invites cohorts of BIPOC youth (ages 14-24) from various community partners—such as schools, nonprofits, and/or family groups—to participate in intimate storytelling events. Each series (we have two series annually) includes 3-5 events and is centered around a specific theme (i.e. friendship, traditions), guiding participants in crafting and sharing their personal stories.
Prior to events, YEBO facilitates workshops and coaching sessions to support storytellers in reflecting on and extracting lessons from their lived experiences while enhancing their communication skills through narrative literacy. The culmination is a live pop-up-style event where storytellers present their stories in a supportive, celebratory environment, creating a platform for diverse voices and fostering a sense of belonging and cultural enrichment within the community.
YEBO uses the content from these events to create podcasts on its audio platform, YEBOpod. We organize the content into Mixtapes, which are radio-hour-style themed story collections.
Goals and Outcomes
1. Create Safe and Inclusive Cultural Spaces for BIPOC Youth by establishing culturally relevant environments that deepen their cultural identities and engage them in artistic activities, workshops, and events celebrating their heritage.
2. Strengthen Community Connections Through Public Arts Events by showcasing the talents and cultural traditions of BIPOC youth, celebrating their diversity, fostering empathy and understanding across communities, and increasing cultural participation.
3. Encourage Reflective Narratives and Purpose Discovery to empower BIPOC youth to use storytelling to explore, articulate, and derive meaning from their life experiences, fostering a sense of purpose.
4. Build and Strengthen Interpersonal Relationships by supporting BIPOC youth in developing strong, healthy connections through supportive community environments and enhancing their social connections.
Data:
97% of participants felt our storytelling experience helped them develop a deeper sense of who they are.
85% of participants felt more confident expressing their thoughts and ideas after participating in our storytelling experiences.
85% % of participants felt more positive about themselves after participating in our storytelling experiences.
97% of participants felt our storytelling experiences provided them with a safe and supportive community.
88% of participants would participate in our storytelling experiences again.
91% of participants would recommend our storytelling experiences to other people in their circle.
Partner With Us
The partner will:
– Recruit 5-6 BIPOC youth storytellers + 1 adult BIPOC storyteller to receive 3-4 coaching sessions in a 3-week cycle
– Save the date to record stories live at the Story Pop-Up event
– Sign media release forms and complete post-survey
– Join YEBO in celebrating the release of the Mixtape on the first Thursday of either June or December
YEBO will:
– Host a Zoom Orientation call at the beginning of the coaching cycle to review the experience
– Provide 3-4 coaching sessions for each Storyteller
– Facilitate the Story Pop-Ups by setting up audio equipment
– Produce and publish the final podcast on our podcasting platforms
Fall Season – 2024
Partner 1: August 7 – August 29, Story Pop-Up on August 29
Partner 2: September 2 – September 19, Story Pop-Up on September 19
Partner 3: October 1 – October 24, Story Pop-Up on October 24
