Inspiring creativity and collaboration in the classroom
Li'l Stories
Challenge & Goal
In today’s test-driven school culture, students often have little space for creative exploration, leaving gaps in essential 21st-century skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and digital literacy. Li’l Stories set out to change that: to bring storytelling back into the elementary classroom as a hands-on, joyful way to make academic learning meaningful, personal, and fun.
My Role & Leadership
As founder of Li’l Stories, I developed the framework in close collaboration with NYC public school teachers and students, prototyping, testing, and refining it inside classrooms and at the Children’s Museum of the Arts. I co-designed a flexible, curriculum-aligned process and toolkit — including visual storyboards, writing extensions, digital tools, and an app — that guided students through research, storyboarding, and storytelling. Beyond creating the framework, I led the growth of Li’l Stories: securing Kickstarter funding, launching public pilots, developing professional development workshops, and scaling the initiative through downloadable classroom tools and project plans.
Outcomes & Impact
From 2016 to 2019, Li’l Stories ran storytelling labs in Title 1 public elementary schools across New York City, reaching over 500 students and dozens of teachers. These labs embedded storytelling into literacy, science, and social studies curricula, helping students develop creativity, collaboration, communication, and confidence, while giving teachers tools to support multi-modal learning and inclusion. Students shared their work through oral presentations, puppet shows, Readers’ Theater, and digital media, making academic content personally meaningful. Today, Li’l Stories continues to offer its framework, tools, and educator workshops online, advancing a vision of learning where every child can think creatively, work collaboratively, and share their voice.
Pourquoi Tales Project Students in a six-week unit explored Pourquoi tales by retelling classic stories or creating their own, presenting them through Readers’ Theater, written dialogues, and digital captures. (Team 405, P.S. 3, March 2015)
Process & Approach
Li’l Stories evolved through iterative design, piloting, and collaboration with teachers and students in NYC public schools. Below are key moments that shaped the framework, tools, and classroom experience.
Piloting with 2nd Graders Tested early prototypes with 2nd graders, exploring how collaborative storytelling could deepen engagement and support learning across subjects. (February 2015)
Prototyping at Children’s Museum of the Arts Experimented with tools and formats in a museum setting, refining how to structure storytelling activities to be playful, intuitive, and student-led. (February 2015)
Piloting at P.S. 3 Collaborated closely with teachers and students at P.S. 3 to co-design the process, test materials, and integrate storytelling into classroom routines. (February to March 2015)
Storytelling Labs in Action
The storytelling labs brought Li’l Stories into real classrooms, integrating the framework into science, social studies, and literacy units. These hands-on sessions empowered students to make academic content personal, creative, and collaborative. Students practiced teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, and teachers discovered new ways to foster engagement and inclusion.
Classroom Lab at P.S. 359 5th Graders worked in small teams, developing their stories through drawing, writing, and discussion, building collaboration and communication skills. (December 2018)
Program Model, Tools & Extensions
The Li’l Stories program combines a flexible, research-based model with simple, customizable tools that adapt to different classroom needs. From playful storyboards to a kid-friendly app, each component is designed to help students plan, create, and share stories in meaningful ways.
Program Model A three-step process — Plan, Storyboard, Tell — guides students from research and idea development to collaborative storytelling and sharing, supporting both creativity and academic learning. Teachers can use the full process or individual steps as an entry point into new content, with optional extensions in digital media, writing, and the arts to deepen engagement and build additional skills.
Storyboards & App Designed circular, game-like storyboards and a simple mobile app to help students plan, capture, and share their stories — encouraging focus, collaboration, and multi-modal learning.
Curriculum Map Outlined how Li’l Stories fits into literacy, arts, and content-area units — giving teachers flexible pathways for integration.
Li’l Stories Identity System Developed a brand identity that blends playful, hand-drawn elements with clean structure, reflecting the balance of creativity and clarity at the heart of the framework.