February 2023 Newsletter
Dear YS Community,
We’re well into 2023 and programs are just about to start! If you’ve been wanting to join us in the classroom, sign up for one of our monthly virtual volunteer information sessions here.
If you can’t volunteer this semester, you can support our work by joining Story Club with a monthly donation of any amount. This steady stream of funds allows us to keep our programs going and look towards the future, and allows YOU to have a say in what that looks like. Plus, you’ll get an awesome story written by our students delivered to your inbox each month.
Read stories from our valuable community members we’re highlighting this month:
Tamara Sims, an alum
Meghann Heinrich, a donor
Nicholas Wittcoff, a volunteer
Paula Landau, a school liaison
Tige Charity of Kids in the Spotlight (KITS), one of our Community Gifts recipients
Learn more about them and their experiences with Young Storytellers below!
Up and Coming
Alumni Lunch
Want to catch up with Young Storytellers? Great, because YS wants to catch up with you! If you've gone through our programs as a student, join our alumni lunch for alumni of all ages on Saturday 3/4/23 at 12 PM - RSVP here.
Volunteer Info Sessions
Learn about what it means to be a YS volunteer by signing up for a virtual volunteer information session here.
“Es sorprendente lo que logras al dejar volar tu imaginación y lo pasas en papel, todo puedes ser posible.”
- Family Member of a Young Storytellers alum
STORYTELLER SPOTLIGHTS
Meet an Alum: Tamara Sims, she/her/hers
What personal identities are important to you?
Being a Black woman is an important part of my identity because I perceive the world differently as a Black woman. At first glance, people might view me as loud or aggressive because of negative stereotypes attached to Black women. However, I feel closer to other Black women because of our struggles. I enjoy listening to music and watching movies made by Black women, and I am proud to be a Black woman.
What are you up to now?
Right now, I am in college, attending Cal State Northridge, majoring in Psychology, and have completed my first semester as a college student with a 4.0 GPA.
What was your Young Storytellers story about?
My story Becoming Me was about a princess named Julie that was tired of her lavish life as a princess and wanted to be an ordinary girl, one day she stumbles upon a cave of magical gems; however, a wizard tricks her into drinking a potion that turns her into a frog. Upon becoming a frog, Julie realizes she took her life for granted and wishes she were a princess again. However, after turning back into a princess, she realizes she took her life for granted and learns to be careful about what she wishes for.
What’s something you remember the most from your time at YS?
Something I remember the most from my time at Young Storytellers is how I felt when I first walked on the stage of The Biggest Show. I was so nervous before I stepped on because I knew the venue would be significantly larger than The Big Show, and I was worried about how people would react to my script; however, when I first saw the audience, I instantly felt reassured because I could feel the support from everyone even though they were so far away. My mentor Jen helped me feel more comfortable as well.
How did you get reconnected to YS after your program ended?
I reconnected with Young Storytellers after my program ended because Young storytellers reached out to me about an opportunity to write a spinoff story based on The Beauty and the Beast; YS also gave me a chance to attend the live-action premiere with Young Storytellers, which was very memorable. In addition, I recently joined Young Storytellers to film Story Time, an educational series to teach young storytellers how to strengthen their storytelling skills, which was a fantastic experience.
What makes you continue engaging with Young Storytellers?
I continue engaging with Young Storytellers primarily because the program is so important for young writers; it gives them a voice, and there are only so many programs that genuinely value the creative minds of young kids. I was timid as a kid, and before Young storytellers, I wouldn't have ever imagined that I could stand on a big stage in front of a big audience and watch famous actors like Leslie Mann and Jack Black perform my ideas for everyone watching. However, Young Storytellers gave me that once-in-a-lifetime experience. Everyone at Young storytellers is so kind and supportive, and I always enjoy being around them.
What do you want current and future YS students to know?
I want current and future Young storytellers students to know that their voice matters, and if they have a story, they deserve to have it heard.
Meet a Donor: Meghann Heinrich, she/her
What first brought you to YS?
I first heard about Young Storytellers years ago when a friend of mine (Jaylene!) started working for the organization. I remember she shared a bit about the organization on social media and I was beyond intrigued! Young Storytellers literally combines all my favorite things: kids, stories, kids telling stories, and respecting the courage it takes to share your story. I've stayed connected with YS through social media and even did my undergraduate capstone project using the YS curriculum to bring a little bit of that magic to my college campus--a fantastic experience that gave me a chance to connect with more of the YS team and witness their passion firsthand.
Why is giving back so important to you?
I was fortunate enough to have a bunch of stellar role models growing up, people who gave me confidence and courage to be me. Now I have the means to help facilitate those experiences for kids today--and that's a privilege!
Why do you support YS?
Because I believe in and resonate with Young Storytellers' mission and how they go about pursuing it. It's not geographically feasible for me to volunteer in person (maybe someday!), but I love that I can financially support the work they are doing!
Meet an Educator: Mrs. Paula Landau, she/her/hers
What personal identities are important to you?
mother, wife, daughter, teacher
Why did you become an educator?
I became an educator because it has always been a passion of mine. Growing up, my answer was always, "I want to be a teacher when I grow up." I love learning new things and I enjoy watching a student's face light up when they are learning something new, and their brain is firing away making new connections.
How long have you been working with Young Storytellers?
I have been working with Young Storytellers since I was in the classroom as a fifth-grade teacher. I believe since 2009 or earlier.
What kind of impact do you think Young Storytellers has on young people?
Young Storytellers has had a tremendous impact on our students here at Saturn. I have watched the most shy and low performing students step out of their shell and thrive after working with a mentor, writing a script, and watching their work come to life on stage. The YS program has given many of our students an opportunity to explore their creativity in new ways and the new collaborative model has helped them learn how to cooperate and work together when crafting their scripts. Many of our students can't wait to be in 5th grade so they can have the opportunity to participate in the YS program.
Meet a Community Gifts Recipient: Tige [TIE-jee] Charity, she/her/hers
Kids in the Spotlight (KITS)
What personal identities are important to you?
Being a wife, mother, and champion in unveiling the immeasurable value of youth in foster care.
Tell us more about your work and role at KITS- what's your mission or impact you hope to have?
I am the founder and CEO of Kids In The Spotlight (KITS).
Our mission is to help foster youth heal and grow from trauma through the power of storytelling and filmmaking.
What brought you to this work?
In 2007, I visited an all-girls group home where my husband taught acting classes. Meeting the young ladies and getting to know their stories cracked my heart wide open. I wanted to allow youth impacted by the foster care system to share their story, to let the world know their value and the fact that foster care does not define them, and to show the industry the hidden jewels in the foster care system. Two years later, I founded KITS.
What would you like the YS community to know about your organization?
Using film as a vehicle, our Script-to-Screen program provides a safe space for youth impacted by foster care to face their pain and find their power while giving them agency and decision-making power over the stories they tell as they write, cast, and star in their own short films.
Our youth receive hands-on job training, preparing them for careers in the entertainment industry. From learning screenwriting software to collaborating on a script in a writers' room filming with industry-standard equipment on set, KITS provides exposure to the experiences that future employers require. Through KITS Script-to-Screen, foster youth are equipped with workforce skills, empowered to achieve their goals, and emboldened to become community leaders. KITS is launching our Production Studio with Purpose to change life outcomes for youth in/from foster care by increasing career readiness, social capital, and resiliency. Projected to generate 860 work opportunities annually as a workforce development program, our social enterprise aims to generate income to impact outcomes.
Are there any upcoming events KITS is hosting that we can share about?
KITS invite our local village to support the stories our participants write in our Script-to-Screen program during each session's table reads. Our first is on March 6, 2023. Sign up for our newsletters to get more details on our upcoming table reads, film screenings, and more: https://www.kitsinc.org/subscribe-to-kits.
Meet a Volunteer: Nicholas Wittcoff, he/him
What personal identities are important to you?
Honesty, courage, compassion, self-love, and personal accountability.
What first brought you to YS?
I first was brought to Young Storytellers by an email from my college, Loyola Marymount University, about possible volunteer opportunities in the theater program. I then emailed an advisor in the organization about joining the summer Big Show for the Playa Del Rey Elementary School last summer. I had an absolutely fantastic time performing for the kids and meeting everyone involved.
As a volunteer, what keeps you coming back each semester?
[My time at Young Storytellers] was something different than my usual volunteering, and I enjoyed it so much that I then signed up to volunteer during the next school year Fall 2022.
When I was about to begin the new session with the kids, I knew that some of my friends would love the program as well, so I got 3 of my close friends to come and join me as mentors. Our leader Kila welcomed my friends and I with open arms and helped us get a great group of kids Paul, Dylan, and Eli. Together, with the help of my fellow mentors Evan Hoopes and Henry Davies, we helped the boys make an awesome story called In Search of the Magical Candy Forest.
What have you most enjoyed about this semester/school year so far?
I think what I enjoy most about being a mentor is just being there in the room with these amazingly talented and bright kids, and watching them come up with their incredible ideas for these stories.
Why is volunteering so important to you?
Volunteering is very important to me because I am lucky enough to have many privileges in my life and I believe that it is my responsibility to find ways to give back to the communities that have given me so much. Being apart of Young Storytellers has been one of the best experiences of my life and I feel so lucky to have found this organization and hope to be involved with YS for the rest of my life and hopefully one day be able to give back to the organization in bigger ways and spread the word of the impact and beauty of the program. My goal is to one day be able to mention YS as I am doing press for a film or tv show I am in, so that the entire world hears about this amazing organization.
