Presented by Darlene Chambers, Ember Reichgott Junge, Wendy Larvick at the 2020 Independent Charter Schools Virtual Conference. Telling stories – not just personal stories, but all forms of narrative – is one of the most common ways we can “awaken emotions” and gain support from our legislators, our parents, our communities and the public at large. Not only are stories uniquely powerful and humanizing but they have been statistically shown to make anyone 35% more persuasive. Why? Listening to an argument or statistics makes us a critic but listening to a story invites receptivity. Join our three panel facilitators as they take attendees on a video clip journey to learn that telling your story is more than just “attach the clip link here”. Session goers will learn how to unleash the power of stories one video at a time through engagement and discussion.

2. PANEL FACILITATORS
Ember Reichgott Junge
Minnesota State Senator (1983-2001)
Dr. Darlene Chambers
National Charter Schools Institute
Wendy Larvick
National Charter Schools Institute

3. SESSION AGENDA
•The Power Of Telling Your Story
•Reaching Across The Aisle – Conquering Politics
•Building The Coalition – Through Video Clips, Sound Bites And Social Media
•Visualize The Story Telling Power – Appeal To Emotions And Create Support
•It’s A Wrap – Next Steps And Q & A

4. POWER OF TELLING YOUR STORY
FIRST – WHAT IS A STORY?
• A short succinct presentation or message that conveys:
• Experience
• Request
• Feedback
• Suggestion

5. POWER OF TELLING YOUR STORY
LET’S WATCH A STORY….
https://youtu.be/fzetaee91ks
“Unapologetically Charter”
John Taylor, Executive Director,
Booker T. Washington Academy, New
Haven, CT

6. POWER OF TELLING YOUR STORY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS….
“Unapologetically Charter”
1. What made Mr. Taylor’s video story EFFECTIVE?
2. Would the message have been as effective, if you READ what he said, and why?
3. How did you FEEL after viewing Mr. Taylor’s story?

7. POWER OF TELLING YOUR STORY
FIVE REASONS STORIES ARE POWERFUL
1. Something for everyone
2. Make it meaningful
3. Make it memorable/stories stick
4. Create and reveal emotions
5. Build connections

8. STORIES CREATE:
•Common Understanding Of Problem
•Safe Place To Find Solution Together
PROMINENT STORYTELLER GETS ATTENTION!
•Video Resources From National Founders Library
REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE – CONQUERING POLITICS

9. REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE – CONQUERING POLITICS
U.S. Senator Dave
Durenberger (R-MN)
Sponsor of Federal CSP
Funding, 1994

10. •Conference Committee Key Decision RE: CSP
•House: Only District-only States May Apply
•Senate: Only States With Multiple Authorizers May Apply
•Result: Defer To States (Close To Senate Position)
•Key: Committee Chair Sen. Ted Kennedy: Relationships!
REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE – CONQUERING POLITICS

11. REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE – CONQUERING POLITICS
U.S. Senator Dave
Durenberger
(R-MN)

12. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS….
U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger
1. How Can Charter Schools Help Build Community?
2. How Can Charter Schools Help Make Life Better For All?
REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE – CONQUERING POLITICS

13. BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND BITES
AND SOCIAL MEDIA
“Fight for the things that
you care about, but do it in
a way that will lead others
to join you.”
JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG (1933-2020)

14. BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND
BITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
•Who Are Your Would-be Partners?
• Proximity: Parents, Community, Locally Elected
•Who Else Has This Story?
• Similar Schools
•Who Else Cares About Your Issue?
• Associations, Foundations

15. BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND
BITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Dr. Howard Fuller,
Director,
The Institute for the
Transformation of Learning

16. •Founders Library Oral Histories Are Approximately 1 Hour
•Clipped Content Helps To Focus The Story By Need
•Successful length for social media video is 24-90 seconds*
•Average length for YouTube video is 5.2 minutes**
*Pew Research Center survey
**Wistia customer data
BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND
BITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA

17. BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND
BITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Mary Kay Shields,
Michigan Gov. John Engler’s
Special Advisor for Charter
Schools Development

18. BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH
VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND BITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media Posts Can
Increase Outreach To Inform
Your Coalition And Keep
Them Engaged

19. WWW.CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG/LIBRARY
BUILDING THE COALITION – THROUGH
VIDEO CLIPS, SOUND BITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA

20. VISUALIZE THE STORY TELLING POWER – APPEAL TO
EMOTIONS AND CREATE SUPPORT
STORIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PART OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION BECAUSE…
•Our brain looks for the story in experiences to make sense
•Our heart is engaged by pictures, sounds and images
•There’s an empathetic connection when you see yourself in the story
•Stories trigger our imaginations, discovery and exploration from our frame of reference

21. VISUALIZE THE STORY TELLING POWER – APPEAL TO EMOTIONS AND
CREATE SUPPORT
LET’S WATCH A STORY….
HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/JJPA1AVYFMI
“Denver School of Science
and Technology (DSST)”
Denver, Colorado
2018 Broad Prize Winner

22. IT’S A WRAP…

23. IT’S A WRAP…
Next steps
•Check out the Founder’s Library @ WWW.CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG/LIBRARY
•Reach out to panelists for future assistance
•Just tell your story…

24. FOR QUESTIONS OR TO CONNECT WITH THE FOUNDERS
LIBRARY:
•EMBER REICHGOTT JUNGE, EMBER.REICHGOTT@GMAIL.COM
•WENDY LARVICK, WLARVICK@CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG