Stories Strengthen Community: Connecting Classrooms across the Bering Strait School District

Storytelling has always been at the heart of communities. It is how wisdom is passed down, how relationships are strengthened, and how young people come to know who they are. In a time when many of us feel more disconnected than ever, stories remind us of our shared humanity. They connect us across generations, open space for vulnerability, and help us feel seen and heard. In doing so, they support mental health by easing isolation and creating a sense of belonging. This connection helps us build resilience in the face of challenges.

That is what our Story Works program is offering to students in the Bering Strait School District, especially in the community of Unalakleet, and now, thanks to new support, in surrounding communities as well.

Supporting Students in Unalakleet

In 2016, journalist and Unalakleet Schools alum Laureli Ivanoff helped bring community storytelling events to the region. She teamed up with teacher Giaana Peterson and Story Works Alaska co-founder Regan Brooks to pilot workshops in Unalakleet classrooms. What began as a one-week experiment quickly grew into something much bigger: a space where students could not only practice storytelling but discover the value of their own voices.

Laureli remembers one moment that has stayed with her all these years:

“I remembered this one student who was really shy. Had rarely said more than a few words. I knew the culminating event would be so great for him… this shy quiet kid told this powerful story, it was the first time I’d ever heard him speak! Everyone was cheering him on; you could see this light in his eyes. It makes me cry just talking about it.”

For many students, Story Works becomes the first time they feel truly heard. And for teachers, it’s a way to connect with young people beyond academics, to see them as whole individuals with unique knowledge and lived experience to share.

Rooting Stories in Community 

Giaana, a 9-12 grade Language Arts Teacher at Unalakleet School has carried the program forward year after year. She has watched the model adapt to fit her students’ lives and the culture of her community:

“I think Story Works has done an excellent job of tailoring the experience for my students. They craft prompts that are relevant to my students’ lives, and they welcome students to share about their experiences of growing up and living in our close-knit rural community.”

In classrooms, prompts often lead to stories about family traditions, hunting trips, or life in a tight-knit rural community. These stories remind students that their everyday experiences carry wisdom and meaning and they remind the wider community how valuable these voices are.

Building Confidence and Connection

The impact of storytelling doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Students who participate gain confidence, a stronger sense of identity, and new ways to connect with those around them. It also supports their mental health by reducing stress, fostering emotional expression, and helping them feel seen and understood. Giaana has seen how this shapes her students’ futures:

“My students love connecting with people outside of our home community. Working with Story Works facilitators helps them feel like they are a part of the bigger world, while also helping them find their place in it. I’ve seen the workshop help my students discover who they are, and that stronger sense of identity seems to be what helps them build confidence in who they are not just as young people, but as emerging leaders, providers, stewards of the land, and more.”

Storytelling also helps students see themselves in new ways. By sharing their own experiences and hearing those of their classmates, they realize they are not alone in their challenges or their dreams. As Laureli shared:

“The more our kids at home realize our way of life, values, mindset, relationship with the land and animals, and way of being is so powerful, they realize how much we have to offer. I love that our students ARE sharing their stories about goose hunting or moose hunting, rich stories that most Alaskans don’t get to hear. They will do this for the rest of their lives.”

This sense of belonging builds trust within the classroom while grounding in culture and tradition strengthens both confidence and connection in the community.

Laureli sees this as essential work in today’s world:

“We live in such isolation, we have an isolation epidemic (because of our phones, etc). But we are BUILT for community. We NEED community. We need programming where we are sharing stories and intertwined with one another.”

Connecting Teachers across Communities

This year, with support from an Alaska Mental Health Trust Grant, Story Works is expanding beyond Unalakleet to additional communities in the Bering Strait School District. The new Story Works Teacher Toolkit gives more teachers and students the opportunity to connect and share stories, while teachers learn together: exchanging strategies, experiences, and encouragement across communities. The impact is clear: students gain confidence, a stronger sense of identity, and emotional resilience; teachers grow together; and communities become more connected, strengthening the bonds that support well-being across the region.

Already, neighboring villages are experiencing the same opportunities that first took root in Unalakleet. In spring 2025, Forum staff and teachers facilitated a Cross Community Storytelling event connecting students and teachers from Unalakleet, White Mountain, and Brevig Mission. Each new classroom deepens the ripple effect: more voices lifted, more confidence built, more opportunities for connection and learning.

Sustaining Stories Through Partnership

Story Works thrives because of partnerships: between teachers, community members, and supporters who believe in the power of storytelling. Giaana says it best:

“Support from the Alaska Humanities Forum, and the Forum’s supporters, is vital to keeping the program thriving in Unalakleet. There is value in partnership, and by partnering together, we can continue supporting students, ensuring their voices are heard, and empowering them to continue sharing their stories.”

We are excited to continue working with Bering Strait schools, and to learn from students and teachers about additional ways to build connections within and between different communities in Alaska.

You can donate here to help sustain Story Works in the Bering Strait School District/Unalakleet and other communities!