Guidelines for Extension Storytelling

Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension has programs with extensive impacts on the residents of New Jersey, whether it is changing/improving lives or providing meaningful resources to communities or businesses that otherwise would be beyond their reach. There are many stories waiting to be told and our annual reports, press releases, PowerPoint presentations, etc. only tell part of the story. Storytelling takes a different approach. It is not a press release providing merely the details of "who, what, when and why", but rather an engaging avenue offering the reader insight and personal stories through the eyes of someone involved with their program. The Goodman Center provides criteria for telling your program's story: create a protagonist, what barriers they face, and how they overcome them, by using descriptive details, adding dialogue, and opening up the "black box." These items are addressed below.

How to Set Up Your Story

1. Develop your story idea. You probably already have a notion of an intriguing research project, volunteer, participant, or stakeholder experience, or historic story to tell.
2. Identify your protagonist and describe their situation as it is. For example, Casey Sky Noon's protagonist is living in his car after a series of failed attempts to get himself on the right track.
3. What barriers do they face? The protagonist can run into more than one obstacle during the story.
4. Use descriptive details: "she drove to the community garden" vs. "she hopped in her Subaru wagon loaded with shovels and rakes and headed to the community garden."
5. Add dialogue between characters; it can even be the protagonist’s internal dialogue. See what Lauren Errickson’s character is thinking when she tries to stretch her SNAP dollars in the Farmer’s Market story.
6. How did they overcome their barriers? Open up the "black box" that conceals the actual endeavors. For example, in Ben Clawson's story on 4-H Camp Magic, shy Jessie, a first-time camper doesn't go from nervous and shy upon her arrival at camp to performing solo on the camp stage at the week's finale talent show, after just "having a fun week at camp." Clawson unlocks the black box by revealing how Jessie's counselor immediately took her under her wing; how a fellow camper showed her around; how her art & crafts group encouraged her to enter the talent show after she told them she likes to sing; and on and on.

Tips for Getting the Most out of Stories:

1. Add photos! If you want to maintain the privacy of your subject, or if your protagonist is fictional or a composite of several different people, you don't have to include an image of the protagonists per se, but can include group shots such as a 4-H activity, Master Gardeners or Environmental Stewards working on a project, or FCHS teaching session. Include captions and photographer (if known) for photos.
2. You can use mini stories to enhance your program announcements by starting the release with a person's dilemma and experience and lead into the announcement of your program. For example, community garden coordinator Toni is confronted with the garden's compost pile that never turns to compost is the lead into the announcement of the online community gardening training series.

To see more examples, see: Stories from Extension at the SEBS/NJAES Newsroom.