STRATEGIC STORYTELLING

The difference between empathy and sympathy, the power of stories from both an advocacy and humanities perspective, how to frame concepts in the context of development to name a few.

I learned the specific aspects of a "good" story, how to use story to promote sustainable development, and how to deconstruct a story for meaning and purpose.

Admay truly went above and beyond. From the very first day, I was impressed by how much she already knew about each of us, and throughout the course, she continuously integrated our ideas into the class. That made the learning experience feel incredibly personal and intentional. Overall, we learned the deep importance and transformative power of storytelling as a tool to help build a world where every living being can flourish. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for change because it’s deeply embedded in how humans have shared knowledge for millennia—and because it speaks directly to the emotional part of the brain that shapes decision-making. Through this course, I learned: 1. How to use artistic storytelling techniques and frameworks to craft narratives for social impact. 2. The science behind why stories move people and how they can shape attitudes, behaviors, and policies. 3. How to identify and counteract harmful or dominant narratives by telling stories that align with our values and vision for a better world.

This was the only class I've taken in Duke that challenged my way of thinking, I would have multiple "aha" moments in the course related to fundamental aspects of society, change, power, etc. that are missing in every other course. Insights- understanding parallel ways of communication, their intention, impact, power, strengths, weaknesses, and how to structure them. I feel incredible empowered to use this information to frame policy, and feel like I am walking away with value that all students should be getting because I took this course. Methods/skills- this is the only class where we consistently analyze and really go deep into the underlying ideas, values, impacts, and structure of development. Even though it was an international development course, the application is across all sectors because most policy we're interested in (schools, transpiration, etc.) is touched by development and is at its core, a subsection of development. I found the class to be highly relevant to every aspect of policymaking, and the process of metacognition, reflection, and analysis is unmatched. The skills and methods in ways of thinking I learned and practiced in this class are the most valuable aspect of my MPP so far. Knowledge- I learned so much about how a topic I was interested in- communicating policy- has a wide field around it that has very intentional goals and being able to really get exposure to the macro-level landscape that then shapes our ideas as policy makers that we're exposed to in the world, and then understanding how to TRULY analyze those options and expand, was a highlight. In prep for our final paper, we reviewed key parts of our work and key readings to reflect on and were asked which reading we would remove from the syllabus- I did not have a single one I would remove because I was so grateful for all that I learned. Meanwhile, in other courses you can get an A without ever doing the reading b/c the readings don't add anything and the professors just ask for you to spit back what they told you. Admay actually teaches you how to think, teaches you how to analyze, reflect, meaningfully synthesize, etc. and those skills are the kind that make leaders, create change, and actually influence policy.

1. How to look critically at development, its definitions, and its leading thinkers 2. What makes a good story and how to use stories strategically to convince stakeholders 3. How to value the gift of a story from someone else and how to treat someone's story as a gif