© 2003, Rotary Club of Charleston

P.O. Box 21029
Charleston, SC 29413-1029

Club secretary:
Carroll Schweers
chasrot@comcast.net

Mike Ethridge brings storytelling to children
Founder of "Stories for Life" passes on skill at schools

OCT. 7, 2003 — Rotarian Mike Ethridge is fascinated with the art of storytelling and shared with Rotarians his belief of the importance of teaching this art to children. To that end, Ethridge has taken time out from his busy schedule as an attorney to found as serve as Executive Director for "Stories for Life."

"Stories for Life" is an organization dedicated to bringing a story-telling curriculum to our public schools. Approximately 8 months ago, a 16-lesson curriculum designed by Stories for Life began to be taught in certain upstate schools. The curriculum teaches school children how to be storytellers, including such skills as character development. Ethridge hopes that the program will be more broadly disseminated next year.

According to Ethridge, storytelling has become particularly vogue in the last 30 years, and there has been a new emergence of professional storytellers. He noted that even "corporate America" is using storytelling as part of corporate leadership programs. Ethridge explained that many of us get caught up in our daily, fast-paced lives and move with "no direction." As a result, we are often "disconnected" with our surroundings and the people with whom we interact. Says Ethridge, "stories help us slow down." Through storytelling, we see, feel, and understand better what goes on around us and "makes us human."

Ethridge found his passion in storytelling during the early 1990s while practicing law in Atlanta. He began by telling stories to elementary school classes and at various festivals and events. He realized that teaching storytelling to children "does so much for them," including increasing their reading comprehension, communication skills and confidence. Plus, says Ethridge, storytelling "nourishes the soul."

-- Amy Jenkins

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