OUR THEORY OF CHANGE
Our Theory of Change captures how we conjure The Telling Room ‘magic.’ It’s a distillation of what we do and how it leads to change; illustrating the community-building, the growth, and the self-discovery that youth experience as a result of spending time with us in our programs.
To create this outline, we dug deep to examine our program model, understand the deliberate choices that fortify our pedagogy, and map the practices that uplift and empower youth.
Read on to learn more, or download our Theory of Change below.
ASSUMPTIONS
The Telling Room believes youth empowerment can only happen when youth and their communities understand that:
All youth are in and of themselves enough
Everyone comes with inherent worth, skills, and talent
Everyone’s unique perspective and experience is important and of value to the community
PRECONDITIONS
In order for these beliefs/assumptions to be realized, certain conditions need to be in place. To help nurture youth empowerment, The Telling Room is committed to fostering:
A sense of safety and space for vulnerability where students can explore who they are
An environment that values self-expression
A culture that cultivates respect and kindness
Collaborative learning without the ranking of perceived skills
An active sense of belonging
OUTPUTS
A commitment to these pre-conditions is the foundation upon which The Telling Room builds its programming. (The Telling Room engages and models this approach across the spheres where students live and learn)
Afterschool Programs
IMPACT CATEGORIES
Within and across our programing, The Telling Room works to align our values with action towards impact.
We increase and sustain youth engagement
We invest in and cultivate community partnerships
We nurture access to opportunities
Students strengthen skills and expand knowledge
Students’ sense of self shifts, expanding confidence and agency
Students grow their networks
LONG TERM OUTCOMES
Our Vision: A future where youth make themselves heard and their communities value their voices.
Our community listens to young people and values their contributions
Youth participants have opportunities through which they can gain self-confidence through community-building
Youth participants have opportunities through which they can discover and validate their creative voices
OUR IMPACT
Youth are more empowered and equipped to realize their individual potential and position themselves and their communities for success.
Acknowledgments:
We thank Dr. Alexis Mann of Northbound Research and Consulting for her leadership and role in crafting The Telling Room’s Theory of Change. We also thank all the interviewees and participants informing this work for bringing in their perspectives from various Telling Room experiences and knowledge across the fields of literary arts education and youth empowerment.