"A visitor comes to your island where you live. Your task, together with those in your community, is to take care of the visitor for one day so that he/she wishes to come back again.”
Stories for Society:
The Island Method
Stories for Society’s principal tool, was developed by experts over a decade and emerged from the desire to support social and emotional health among children and youth. With time, it became clear that the method was also useful to adult groups in different types of organizations. The method, which is documented in a detailed manual, provides a basic framework for creating common stories to address issues that may otherwise be difficult to discuss using a theoretical approach. The method integrates story-making in words, images and dramatization.
It facilitates:
Fantasy and play are integrated into the method in order to provide:
Feedback
Each of Stories for Society’s projects integrates feedback mechanisms from stakeholders, which form the basis for evaluation. The results are wide-ranging, but overall point to increased willingness and capacity to collaborate, and internalization of the topic/theme. The absence of a culturally limited attitude in our approach can be attributed to our rules of engagement which emphasize possibility, openness and caring.
- is a Swedish-based non-profit organization renewing the art of story-telling for learning and social transformation.
- seeks continually to develop and share its method for facilitating group story-making around complex social issues, particularly those that relate to inclusion and collaboration.
- was founded in 2010 after an extended period of consultation with experts concerning social need, concepts and tools.
The Island Method
Stories for Society’s principal tool, was developed by experts over a decade and emerged from the desire to support social and emotional health among children and youth. With time, it became clear that the method was also useful to adult groups in different types of organizations. The method, which is documented in a detailed manual, provides a basic framework for creating common stories to address issues that may otherwise be difficult to discuss using a theoretical approach. The method integrates story-making in words, images and dramatization.
It facilitates:
- a holistic examination of an issue/theme in order to reveal different perspectives, expand vocabulary and deepen understanding;
- the development of 21st Century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, empathy/compassion, leadership and teamwork.
Fantasy and play are integrated into the method in order to provide:
- a forum for coming up with new ideas;
- a safe space in which own experiences can be projected without harm to oneself or others.
- school curricula: Teachers can use the method as a fun tool for deepening comprehension in various subject-matter areas and create cross-curricular projects. It provides the opportunity to work in a formative way with students’ skills and meet each student at his/her level of development. The method is easily adapted to existing schedules and resources.
- organizational needs: internal and external communication issues can be addressed by creative and non-confrontational means.
- special needs: our projects have repeatedly demonstrated that the inclusive nature of our method allows for special needs students not only to participate, but also to shine.
Feedback
Each of Stories for Society’s projects integrates feedback mechanisms from stakeholders, which form the basis for evaluation. The results are wide-ranging, but overall point to increased willingness and capacity to collaborate, and internalization of the topic/theme. The absence of a culturally limited attitude in our approach can be attributed to our rules of engagement which emphasize possibility, openness and caring.
| Download a Summary of Stories for Society |
Read an article about our work in online magazine Ivoh.
