STUDENT-CENTERED EXPERIENCES

When students can connect what they are learning in the classroom to their own lives, the learning becomes textured and memorable. 2nd Story works with students in K-12 and college programs to surface stories from their own experiences that connect with themes instructors are working to bring into the room.

We have crafted everything from a six-week in-school residency program for kindergarten students to a single day storytelling workshop for high school students.

Claiming Our Space: Stories of Courage and Hope

Through Claiming Our Space: Stories of Hope & Courage, The Kedzie Center and 2nd Story have confirmed our belief that our work is stronger together.

Designed to respond to the increased stress and isolation reported by immigrant students due to ongoing uncertainty and changes in immigration policy, Claiming Our Space, launched in 2022, offers a space for healing, community, and storytelling for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and undocumented students in the Chicago area.

Over the course of multiple weeks, students learn how to tell and shape their own personal stories in an empowering and healing way. They also build strategies for coping with their immigration status through social support, storytelling and writing, and other forms of expression.

Program Objectives:

• Enhance the participant's ability to express their feelings and create and tell their own story.

• Increase their confidence, sense of belonging/connectedness, and perceived social support.

• Increase their access to additional supports and resources.

FREE Study Guides

Each season, we create dynamic study guides and lesson plans to accompany our socially relevant stories. These free resources can be downloaded and used in classrooms across the city.

Education partners