A Toolkit To Center Young People’s Stories

The Roadtrip Nation Storytelling Toolkit is a resource designed to help people who are using narrative and storytelling as part of their work. For more than 20 years, Roadtrip Nation has refined a storytelling approach driven by young people who are in moments of transition as they make decisions about their future. In this toolkit, Roadtrip Nation outlines the fundamentals of how these stories are captured so that other nonprofits and impact-minded organizations can amplify young people’s voices and stories in their own work.

Storytelling that centers the voices of those who are closest to the story–and who are most impacted–can be powerful in shifting narratives. These stories can show the need for specific support, action, or change.  Stories that center young people’s voices can demonstrate the real, community-level impact of the work that many organizations do. The stories featured in this toolkit help to make the case for systems changes that will support better and more equitable transitions between high school and postsecondary education, so young people can confidently pursue their aspirations and goals. 

The toolkit contains tips and guidelines for developing stories, such as how to set the tone and capture authentic stories and also tips for interviewing young people. In addition, the toolkit features case study spotlights on three of the young people featured in Roadtrip Nation’s series about young people navigating their education and career paths called Possible Dreams, Possible Paths.  A version of this series just for students in Texas can be found here.