My Story, My Voice: Youth-Led Storytelling

Community safety

San Gabriel Valley East LA Other

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Storytelling is a universal skill that can be used interpersonally, professionally, and publicly for many kinds of outcomes—from challenging prejudice to influencing policy. Yet, opportunities for youth to develop storytelling skills are rare, and youth voices are often de-centered from decisions that disproportionately impact their lives. We have seen in the Eaton Fire recovery that few opportunities exist for youth to provide input on their experience of the fires or share their stories; many community surveys and listening sessions collecting research data omit anyone under 18.
We have also seen in our years of focused work with the foster care system that youth voice is often tokenized or used to solicit emotional responses and generate donations. For LGBTQ+ youth, systems-impacted youth, and other marginalized young people, the ability to take power over their narratives is vital. Our program responds to these intersecting challenges through a storytelling incubator program.

The storytelling incubator combines learnings from PPPSGV’s extensive youth programs and abortion storytelling work with best practices from trusted experts. Youth will attend 6-8 hours of focused workshops and will learn how to craft and share narratives safely and authentically. The program will prioritize LGBTQ+ youth, systems-impacted youth, and young people of color who experience greater systemic marginalization. Geographically, our work centers in the fire-impacted Pasadena/Altadena area where story incubation is an urgent and important part of community rebuilding and resilience. Our trauma-informed approach will explore issues around tokenization, power imbalance, and self-disclosure. Training will be in-person and interactive, with space for practice, and will culminate in real-world opportunities. From mock interviews to public comments to advisory board service—we will facilitate storytelling experiences aligned with each participant’s self-directed goals. As a Planned Parenthood affiliate, we have access to media channels as well as relationships with public officials and recurring opportunities for event speakers. Our dynamic approach will illustrate for youth how storytelling can serve many purposes, creating both personal and community benefits. Participant alumni will be invited to return in a mentorship capacity, supporting recruitment and facilitation for future incubators. We value iterative growth and will adjust the program based on participant input.

When young people can speak their truths, when they are encouraged to take up space—everyone benefits. We envision an LA where youth feel more connected, more confident, and more prepared to civically engage and pursue their professional and academic dreams. As LA recovers from the wildfires, making room for youth voice and perspective is necessary to build back a community they need and deserve. The research on this is clear: when youth are empowered to speak up, our shared spaces become safer and more inclusive.
We want other LA organizations to join us in thoughtfully uplifting youth voice, and we have several pathways for doing this. We are a leader in statewide youth education workgroups. We provide training to foster-youth-serving adults. We also maintain strong partnerships with local schools, colleges, and youth-focused orgs. Across all of these capacities, we will freely and widely share best practices and resources from this project.