Interactive courses available free to nonprofit professionals
Vermont Story Lab announces its winter labs are open for registration. The online storytelling trainings are designed to help nonprofits kick off their 2022 communications and development.
The 2-hour interactive labs are free to nonprofit professionals, thanks to a generous foundation gift. Space is limited to 25 people in each class. (“Introduction to Storytelling” is offered at two times due to the popularity of this class.)
Becky Holt, who has extensive background in marketing, communications, and nonprofit development, will facilitate the labs. The sessions focus on how effective storytelling can strengthen a nonprofit organization’s ability to effect positive, mission-driven change through marketing, communications, fundraising, media, and outreach efforts.
Participants are encouraged to bring their questions and challenges; courses share strategic guidance, help with skill-building, and provide space for discussions.
The upcoming winter labs, offered in February and March via Zoom, are:
Introduction to storytelling: Why story matters and how it can help you
Stories are a powerful tool to help people connect with each other, develop understanding, communicate information, advocate for change, or spur people to act. Learn how to develop and share your story or your organization’s story, and create a culture of storytelling within your organization to help collect and curate stories for more effective communications. This interactive 2-hour virtual lab introduces the core concepts and structure of story, emphasizes the value of story, and engages participants through hands-on storytelling practice. This lab is an excellent option for all levels of storytellers – to expand knowledge, hone skills, or re-energize.
There are two options for registering for this one-day class:
Picture Perfect: Tell your stories visually
Engage your audience through visual storytelling with simple techniques and best practices using your cell phone camera. Learn how to tell powerful and moving stories with single images and compelling photo series. Make your storytelling and messages meaningful across communications through an interactive 2-hour virtual lab.
Better, stronger, faster: Improve your storytelling through editing
Create clear and concise communications with storytelling. Learn simple editing techniques and skills to tighten your writing, enhance your messaging, and improve your storytelling through an interactive 2-hour virtual lab to make your social media, emails, and other communications more effective.
Sort it out: Organize your storytelling communications calendar
Use storytelling to develop clear and consistent communications. Create a storytelling communications plan focused on strategy and a tactics-driven editorial calendar focused on execution. Learn how to develop campaigns and calendar to keep your messaging on task, on target, and on time through an interactive 2-hour virtual lab.
Strength in Numbers: Use your data to tell your story
Words are dramatic, moving, and powerful in storytelling – and so are numbers. Incorporate your data in meaningful ways into your communications messages and materials to better tell your story to your audience through an interactive 2-hour virtual lab.
About Vermont Story Lab: Vermont Story Lab began in 2016 to draw together the expertise of many nonprofit professionals throughout Vermont to build a network for storytelling for change. Vermont Story Lab provides training virtually and through regional and statewide events, as well as connects nonprofit professionals for expertise-sharing and cross-mentoring. Learn more: vermontstorylab.org.