This course focuses on shining the light on community and
societal needs through compelling, evidence-based storytelling.
Students learn to help others understand the problem and why it
should be solved. It is also about creating a collective sense
of importance and optimism around the problem and its solution.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will prepare an 8- to 10-page paper summarizing
the extant literature on the topic of their project for this
course and highlighting an important gap in knowledge and the
implications of this knowledge for addressing the topic.
Athena Title
Social Entrepren Strat Story
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will leverage proven and emerging methods of gaining insight into the lived experience of community members.
Students will synthesize observations into themes and insights that form the foundation of their story.
Students will distill a compelling, defendable story from their insights.
Students will apply storytelling methods and tools to choreograph an experience for their intended audience.
Students will bring the story to life digitally.
Topical Outline
The Power of Stories
The Perspective Pivot
Seeing the Situation Through Different Frames
Identifying the possible frames for your project
The Methods that Inspire Stories
Learning About the World - An Overview of Methods
Determining the best ways to learn about your project
Social listening methods
Participant observation
Ethnography
Google trends
The Craft of Storytelling
What Makes a Good Story
Extracting the thesis and main points of your story
The structure of stories
Determining the best structure for your story
Choreographing the experience
Ideating creative experiences for enhancing your story
Engaging your audience
Considering your audience and their readiness to hear
your story
Suspension of disbelief
Ideating creative approaches to delivering your story to
your audience
