Connecting Through Storytelling: Where Are You From?

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Understanding where you’re from is a key ingredient to showing up to Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion conversations authentically. You may ask yourself: What privilege or bias do I carry? What values & cultural practices were honored in my childhood?

This workshop is an opportunity to take a look at what has shaped your current world view!

“I Am From” poetry, created by writer and teacher George Ella Lyon, is a powerful way to unearth the things from your past that impact your relationships with others today. Participants will begin the process of writing their individual poem, partner sharing, and learning about how to turn your poem into a digital story to share more widely.

Leave this workshop feeling a little lighter after you’ve expressed unshared aspects about your identity, race, or culture.

Every single person has a story to share. No writing experience required. Helpful for educators, nonprofits, students age 12+, & anyone interested in connecting through storytelling.

Materials to bring: If participants would like to bring childhood photos or physical objects that represent their identity, please feel free to bring them as inspiration!

Monica Koller is from the Bay Area, CA. She moved to Bellingham, WA 10 years ago and hella misses the sunshine and her family! She created Connecting Community, LLC in 2017 as a direct response to our collective need to connect.

Monica is a REACH (Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage) facilitator, was Family Champion for Generations Forward for 2 years, facilitated a Talking with Kids About Race workshop at the 2018 MLK Human Rights Conference, and is a proud recipient of the 2019 MLK Unity Award for community-building (woo-hoo!).

She is a mother of two children, enjoys pretending to be a cat in her free time, and is constantly in awe of the eagles, mountains, and trees in the Northwest.

Audience: Community, Educators, Human Rights / Social Justice Professionals, Young Adults (14+)