NARRATIVE 4 LAUNCHES IN U.S. SOUTHWEST REGION, INCREASING ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS NOW IN 39 STATES

Global education nonprofit Narrative 4 will now serve students and their communities in New Mexico, Southern California and Arizona

LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Narrative 4, a global education nonprofit that builds compassion and community through storytelling, announces the expansion of its educational programs to the Southwest region of the United States. Partner schools and organizations will have access to the nonprofit's classroom and community-based tools and resources including – The Story Exchange, Learning Resources, Artist Network and Civic Engagement – all designed to help young people recognize their shared humanity and take action to build a more compassionate world.

Currently, the nonprofit works in over 35 countries in partnership with 532 school partners globally.  Narrative 4 will now be serving communities in Santa Fe, New Mexico; LA County and Riverside County, California; and Phoenix, Arizona, and hopes to add 25 new partner schools and organizations in the Southwest region in 2023.

Through these new partnerships, Narrative 4 will train over 180 new facilitators and help 1,500 new students experience the transformative power of The Story Exchange, an active listening and storytelling activity where pairs of individuals share a personal story with each other and then retell their partner's story in the first person. This practice, which expands perspectives through narrative sharing, allows students to build connections with one another and ultimately a more compassionate classroom and school culture.

Students and educators will also benefit from Narrative 4's Learning Resources, a digital e-learning and in-classroom database of authentic social-emotional learning resources that help students and educators explore social-emotional skill building, connection, and compassion, across a variety of subjects; The Artist Network, a community of artists that mentor students, revitalize classroom curricula, collaborate on community engagement and serve as the creative force behind Narrative 4's Learning Resources; and Civic Engagement, an initiative that unites students with their communities through civic action.

"We're thrilled to provide even more students in the U.S. with remarkable opportunities for profound connections, genuine understanding and heartfelt compassion," said Ashley Pinciaro, National Director of Operations at Narrative 4. "Building long-term partnerships with schools in the Southwest region is a testament to our commitment to foster inclusive dialogue and human connection. This region's rich history, diverse community, and vibrant narratives offers a fertile ground for our programs to help students flourish and allow them to make a lasting impact on their communities."

Among Narrative 4's recent partners in the Southwest are Polytechnic High-School in Pasadena, California and Santa Fe International Literary Festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  

"Over the past few years, Narrative 4 helped the Poly students and faculty build cohesion and invaluable skills in perspective taking and compassion building both within and beyond our school community," said Ann Diederich, language teacher and Co-Director of the Global Initiatives Program of Polytechnic High School. "The words of Narrative 4 leaders who spoke at Poly, Ismael Beah, Ru Freeman, Maru Castañeda and Taelor Lewis, truly resonated with our students and teachers. More importantly, our school's trained Narrative 4 student leaders have felt empowered to become agents of change through the story exchange. With Taelor Lewis as a local resource in the Southwest Region, we are excited about the potential connections and innovative collaborations that we will forge."

Founded in 2012, Narrative 4's mission is to build a global community of compassionate youth by bringing joy, sparking imagination and fostering meaningful connections. Narrative 4 uses the exchange of personal stories as a means of building compassion and understanding between young people from different backgrounds and cultures. Informed by literature, authors and artists, the organization has developed a range of innovative programs to bring together students, educators and communities to promote social and cultural understanding and inspire positive community action. 

For media inquiries contact Adriana Torres-Plaza at (347) 603-0154 or [email protected].

About Narrative 4
Narrative 4 (N4) is a global non-profit that uses storytelling and the arts to foster connection and build community. We offer educators creative tools to teach compassion and develop strong student leaders. Our classroom- and community-based programs spark joy and fuel the imagination, while fostering meaningful connections. Through our Story Exchange, Artists Network, Learning Resources, and Civic Engagement projects, N4 is creating a global network of changemakers.

SOURCE Narrative 4