STS! National * Literacy Connects

LITERACY CONNECTS IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE EXPANDING OUR STORIES THAT SOAR! PROGRAM NATIONWIDE!

“I get PUMPED to write a lot of stories when the Magic Box gets here!” - 5th grader

“When I was making my own story I felt like I was being a real author.” - 3rd grader

“It’s amazing that we can give back to the community while doing what we love.” - High school artist

Building on Generations of Success

Stories that Soar! has been empowering K-12 students by giving voice to their original words and creative ideas in Pima County since 2002. In that time, we have successfully partnered with eleven school districts across Southern Arizona as well as with many community partners including Arizona Public Media, Children’s Museum Tucson, The Loft Cinema, University of Arizona Poetry Center, and Pima County Public Library. The time is now to extend our reach beyond Southern Arizona, so that young people everywhere can experience the transformative power of creativity, collaboration, and literacy.

"Stories That Soar! is such an inspiration and creative outlet for my students; I can wholeheartedly testify to the way it has changed many reluctant writers in my classes to eager and enthusiastic storytellers. This program is the perfect outlet for a nationwide opportunity for young writers across the country to be creative and most importantly, to learn that writing can be a blast!" – Elementary School Principal

Beyond Grateful

None of this would be possible without the transformative gift from the Kautz Family Foundation. We cannot thank them enough for their support.

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce our partnership with Literacy Connects and the extraordinary Stories That Soar! program. Children and their families across the country need and deserve Stories That Soar!, and we are determined to help expand this program nationally. We hope many others will join in our shared vision where every child's voice is celebrated, their stories are cherished, and their dreams are encouraged to soar to new heights. We all should be lucky enough to witness the look on a child’s face who is up on stage being cheered by their friends and family for something they’ve created that they’ll remember for a lifetime!"

- Dan Kautz, The Kautz Family Foundation

What is Stories that Soar! anyway?

It all starts with the Magic Box, who’s hungry for stories! With an open invitation to “feed” the hungry box, children let their imaginations run free as they write stories on any subject, in any form and language. Selected stories are then shared back by the professional STS! Acting ensemble as a live theatrical production, placing school culture, youth voice, and the power of literacy center stage!

Stories that Soar! High

STS! High is based on the professional acting ensemble- High school drama students learn the collaborative process of devising an original production using stories from a local elementary school. Those elementary writers see their stories performed by high school actors, providing a multitude of opportunities for all while deepening intercommunity connections.

“This project gives [my students] a larger-than-average stake in the entire production. Students almost never get to be caretakers of others' work, writers, directors, actors and technicians all at once. It's a valuable experience that also helps to ‘level the playing field’ and not put any student or students above any others. It truly is a collaborative project. The ability to reach out and extend the program beyond our campus is very important, and this project does that in myriad ways by not only collaborating with another school but by bringing to life real stories, ideas and thoughts from those within our neighborhoods.”

– High School Theatre Teacher