LPA’s Tips and Tools for Youth Advocates

supporting the next generation of change-makers as you move forward on The Advocate’s Journey.

Poet Muriel Rukeyser, once said “The world is made of stories, not atoms.”

When you think about the galaxy of stories swirling around and within you on any given day, the world can certainly feel that way. Think about it: books, movies, television, podcasts, social media posts, videos, radio, the news, campfire tales, jokes, your dreams, your journal, family histories and more. Proof that we humans love stories.

But here’s an important point to remember: stories are told for many different reasons. They’re told for entertainment, for education, for inspiration, as therapy, to build connections between people, to sell stuff, to introduce yourself (“So, where you from?”) and more.

Sharing your personal stories to advocate for change is very different from telling tales around a campfire to scare your friends or to get a laugh. When you share your stories as an advocate it’s because you want something to happen. This is Storytelling for ACTION.

You don’t just want your listeners to be engaged with your story or interested in your story; you want them to be MOTIVATED TO DO SOMETHING that will help bring about positive change.

This is very important to remember as you move forward on The Advocate’s Journey. Why? Because the real change-makers of the world are absolutely clear about what they want to see happen and why they’re speaking out.

So—what’s the action you want to see happen as a result of someone hearing your stories?