Lesson #17: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: "Theory of Change"- Journey Jamison

Welcome back to Storytelling School with The Moth!  We are in the midst of a difficult time that can feel hard to process, both for ourselves and for our young people. For this week’s blog, we’re taking a look at a story about a young person making a difference in her community.

This week’s Storytelling School story is:

“Theory of Change” by Journey Jamison

You can read the transcript of Journey’s story here.

After you’ve watched and read the story, you can do the following activities:

1. Talk to each other about Journey’s story.

For each post, we’ll highlight a different crafting strategy for how to make your story compelling. For this post, we’ll focus on BELIEVING IN YOURSELF. It takes a lot of courage to share your story and believe that others will find it interesting. In the Moth’s Education Program we meet students all the time who tell us they’re amazed they actually have a story to share and that people want to listen. But everyone has a story! In fact, everyone has a lot of stories and just as you find yourself compelled to listen to Moth stories, others will find themselves compelled to listen to you!

• This is a difficult time in so many ways. Journey’s mom knows that after something difficult, it’s important to take care of your mind and body with some yoga on the beach. What are your self care strategies and how do you open up a conversation with young people about self care?  

• Journey and her mom make a choice to sign up for a training together and later they find it incredibly empowering to pass on that training to others. Is there something you’ve always wanted to train for that you could attend (virtually) alongside your children or students? Or do you have knowledge or a specific skill you could pass on to those who need it now?

• When you hear “children are the future”, what does that mean to you? As a teacher? As a young person? What kind of future do you envision and what can you do right now to work toward that? Keep reading for some ideas!

2. Write or tell your own story.

At The Moth, we believe in celebrating the diversity and commonality of human experience. Often, listening to someone’s story will remind us of a story from our own lives. While you almost definitely have not had Journey’s exact experience, it still may have reminded you of a story from your own life. Get inspired by these prompt questions to tell your own story!

• Tell us about a time you knew you had the tools to help

• Tell us about a time a tough decision was made for you 

• Tell us about a time you prioritized someone else’s safety 

• Tell us about a time your mom (or another guardian) called you before you could call them

• Tell us about a time you knew were doing a good job, even when you were doubted 

• Tell us about a time you were in the right place, at the right time, with the right information to do the right thing

• Tell us about a time you felt like a hero or a shero

3. Activity

• What can you do to help your local and global communities right now? It can be hard to know where to get started, but there are so many ways to help: volunteering your time, attending a training like Journey, donating, reading a book or listening to a podcast to educate yourself, attending a protest, and more.

• To get started, check out the below resources, which are by no means a complete list:

1. This doc is “a collection of NYC heavy resources to actively participate in and contribute to,” updated in real time.

2. This doc is “intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen anti-racism work.”

4. Share this post with a friend!

And check back next Tuesday for another story.

Be sure to check out All Together Now, Fridays with The Moth, wherever you listen to your podcasts, new every Friday!

At a very young age, Chicago native Journey Jamison developed a love for her community. Witnessing disparities throughout the city and suddenly losing her best friend to asthma at age ten prompted her to examine community health from a wide perspective. In March of 2016, Journey became a member and trainer for  Ujimaa  Medics.  UMedics,  a  small,  black grassroots health collective, trains in urban first aid. The following summer she attended Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine, where she was able to dialogue with people from all over the world about how to approach and break down oppressive systems with mindfulness.  Most  recently she  became  an  intern  at  Sacred Keepers  Sustainability  Lab,  where  she  learns  skills  to  help  organize  events that connect environment with racial injustices in the community. At the age of  sixteen,  Journey  already  committed  to  bettering  this  world  and has shared  her  voice  and  story  on  several  platforms,  including  WBEZ’s Every Other Hour, Mic.com, and at the United States of Women Summit  2018  on  the  main  stage  of  the  Shrine  Auditorium.  As  she  continues  to spread her light among several organizations, her driving principle—holistic health for the hood—will govern her own journey toward a peaceful and sustainable life for everyone.

The Moth Education Program works with young people and educators to build community through storytelling workshops, performances and innovative resources. To learn more, visit themoth.org/education

The Moth Education Program is made possible by generous support from The Kresge Foundation, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust, the Kate Spade New York Foundation, and Alice Gottesman. 

Additional program support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the New York State Council on the Arts, ConEdison, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.