Schools & Youth Programs
Using storytelling to build confidence, strengthen connection, and develop speaking, listening, and writing skills for multilingual learners
In classrooms serving multilingual learners, students are developing English while also working to express complex ideas about their lives and experiences. Opportunities to practice speaking, listening, and writing in meaningful ways are essential, but can be difficult to create when students are still building fluency and confidence.
Through a partnership with Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Multilingual - Multicultural Education, Living Record is training educators to implement the Time Capsule experience in their own classrooms across the city. Teachers are equipped with a structured, flexible approach to storytelling that integrates writing, discussion, and creative expression. The model provides multiple ways for students to participate—including native language, visual representation, and oral storytelling—while embedding regular opportunities to practice speaking and listening in a supportive environment. In classrooms across the city, students create artifacts that capture who they are, where they come from, and what they hope for in the future. As they do, they practice organizing their ideas, using descriptive language, and communicating clearly, creating a pathway to participate more fully in classroom conversations.
Why It Mattered
Storytelling creates a meaningful context for language development. As students share their work and listen to one another, they build confidence in using language and strengthen connections with their peers. This combination of confidence and connection supports the development of speaking, listening, and writing skills in a way that feels relevant and engaging. By equipping educators with a clear, adaptable structure, the model can be sustained and expanded across classrooms over time.
VOICE
Celena Aponte, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
“[Placeholder quote about storytelling, language development, and student expression.]”
