Our participatory training and strategy sessions are the heart of our work
Participants learn comprehensive frameworks for holistic understanding of social change narratives, while integrating messaging and storytelling with creativity and grassroots organizing.
Our dynamic trainers are organizers and changemakers, who use story-based strategy in their day-to-day movement work.
Story-based strategy (SBS) focuses on in-depth analysis of story and power in the context of work for collective liberation. Join other movement peoples to build your narrative analysis and strategic approach, diving into radical imagination together.
Intro to Story-Based Strategy
Introductory Trainings on Story-based Strategy build community and power around narrative strategy and radical imagination. This is an interactive 4-hour session to learn about and practice Story-based Strategy concepts and tools for social justice and liberation.
Story-based Strategy is a framework that integrates core principles from organizing, communications, narrative, and culture, and has successfully built with grassroots movements in changing the story for over 20 years. This training is geared towards organizers and movement people who want to practice more creative storytelling and critical narrative analysis.
*Since the COVID 19 pandemic started, we have held our intro trainings virtually. We will come back to hybrid and/or in-person options when it’s safer to join this way.
At the Intro Training, participants will...
Explore and unpack story-based strategy and narrative thinking
Learn how to apply a narrative power analysis
Get access to simple and effective storytelling and framing methods
Connect and build relationships with other changemakers
Tuition
In alignment with our commitment to make our gatherings accessible, we offer our Intro Trainings on a sliding scale. The full tuition for this training is based on your organization's budget. This financial contribution will help us compensate our trainers and other expenses. We also offer limited scholarships (see more below!). Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.
Tuition Options:
FREE - Solidarity rate (Scholarships)
$100 - Organizational Budget of $250,000 or below
$200 - Organizational Budget of $250,000 – $500,000
$300 - Organizational Budget of $500,000 or more
Note: If you are applying as an individual, please choose an amount on the sliding scale according to your financial capacity. Limited scholarships are available — contact us if you have specific questions about the participant fees, including individuals or organizations for which this may be a hardship.
See our Training Calendar for upcoming Intro Trainings.
The Advanced Training
The Advanced Training (AT) is a 4-day deep immersion in story-based strategy concepts and tools. Story-based Strategy is a framework that integrates core principles from organizing, communications, narrative, and culture, and has built with grassroots movements in changing the story for over 20 years. This training is geared towards organizers and movement people who want to practice more creative storytelling and critical narrative analysis. Through a combination of training, coaching, peer collaboration, and radical imagination participants will have the opportunity to engage in political consciousness, apply tools and learnings to their own campaigns and projects, and grow opportunities to facilitate Story-based Strategy in their movement work and communities. The last days of the AT are facilitated in tracks at the intersections of just transition strategies.
The one-day Introduction to Story-based Strategy (SBS) Training or other type of CSS SBS engagement is a prerequisite for this Advanced Training.
After a few years of holding this training virtually for the care of our communities, we were able to come together in person in June 2024!
Core skills practiced
Integrate narrative power analysis into your campaign work
Facilitate story-based strategy exercises such as the Battle of the Story
Apply story-based strategy concepts in teams led by organizers on current issues and real campaigns
Prototype creative narrative interventions, from visual messages to direct actions and beyond
Tuition
In alignment with our commitment to make our gatherings accessible, we offer our trainings on a sliding scale. The full tuition for this training is based on your organization's budget and will cover lodging and all meals throughout the training. This financial contribution will partly help us compensate our trainers and pay for lodging and food. We may be able to offer limited scholarships. Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds!
Tuition Options
$750.00 — $250K or Below Org Annual Budget
$1,000.00 — $250K - $500K Org Annual Budget
$1,500.00 — $500K + Org Annual Budget
See our Training Calendar for upcoming Advanced Training dates.