4-H Rural Storytelling Project
4-H Rural Storytelling Project
The Rural Storytelling Project is a new project for 4-H teens aged 12 and up in Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, and Greene counties! The Rural Storytelling Project aims to help 4-H teen members develop their own storytelling project and broaden their technical skills in various storytelling mediums (writing, video, podcasts, etc.) in order to bridge the rural/urban divide in Upstate New York. Youths will foster a deeper sense of community engagement, confidence, and collaboration by empathizing with, actively listening to, and reflecting on the stories of their peers and community.
Throughout this project, participants will gain technical skills in either writing, video making, or podcast making while creating a final, storytelling project.
What is the 4-H Rural Storytelling Project?
What skills will you learn?
Week 1 Introductions to the Project:
Intro to Creative Media!
Using Presentations as a Visual Aid for Storytelling!
Character Construction and Plot
Contact
Melanie Forstrom
Executive Director
maf357@cornell.edu
845-340-3990 ext. 320
Last updated March 12, 2025
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YouTube4-H Rural Storytelling Project |
Extension Out Loud: Bridging divides with the 4-H Rural Storytelling Project
In this episode of CCE’s “Extension Out Loud” podcast, the summer interns, joined by their CCE advisors and two 4-Hers, talk about the experience, lessons learned, and memories made. Listen to the episode.
Program Teaching Resources
Interested in facilitating a program like this in your area? GREAT! Contact Melanie Forstrom to learn more about the program and for access to teaching resources.
Seth Bollinger
Seth Bollinger – Creative Media Group Facilitator. Hey there! I’m a rising junior studying Applied Economics and Management with a concentration on Marketing at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics. I hail from rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (known as Amish land), so the Rural Storytelling Project naturally caught my eye. My family runs a third-generation dairy farm, and from a young age I had a passion for sharing the story of my family with the world through video and creative media. I feel extremely blessed to have had to opportunity to work with passionate youth to accomplish similar goals. I believe stories are imperative for creating understanding between people of different backgrounds or cultures and I strive to incorporate compassionate storytelling into my life and career in the future.
Wendy Ying Lau
Wendy Ying Lau – Presentation Group Facilitator. I am a rising junior majoring in Environment & Sustainability with a policy and governance concentration and minoring in Law and Society at Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences. I'm from Chelsea, NYC. I like to talk about politics, watch films and tv shows, swim, go outside (for pretty much any outdoor activity), and read. As a facilitator, I wanted to learn and guide youth on how to use storytelling for social impact. Since I come from a bustling urban area and with limited knowledge about rural areas, I wanted to have a better understanding about the youths' experiences living in rural areas through their stories!
Madison Albano
Madison Albano - Writing Group Facilitator. I am a rising junior majoring in English and History and minoring in Spanish at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences. I am from the Connecticut suburbs, so the Rural Storytelling Project interests me as it is an opportunity for me to learn more about how rural areas shape the experiences of youth who live there. All stories - whether they be stories from history or fictional ones - fascinate me and excite me, as they give me the opportunity to empathize with the experiences of others but likewise share my personal journey. I joined this project to help guide the students in their love for storytelling and because I believe stories can positively impact the world around us by fostering empathy and by building emotional connections!