Intro to Storytelling

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of storytelling in connection with public speaking. One of the most important skills in the 21st century is the ability to authentically tell the story of who you are, what matters to you, and the change you want to see in the world. Since humans gathered around the campfire stories have been used to bring people together, tell our collective history, relay critical information, and inspire social change. In this course, we will examine approaches to structuring stories to engage specific audiences and performance techniques to deliver a message with confidence and authenticity. A particular focus of the course will be how stories are a critical communication tool in business, science, education, government, healthcare, and non-profit sectors. Students will be asked to apply storytelling to their own areas of study and personal interests through course readings, discussions, assignments, and presentations. Students will develop a portfolio demonstrating the ability to use stories to share knowledge, pitch a new idea or product, spark social change, connect to an audience using humor, lead people into the future, and communicate who you are for a job interview.