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A New School Year

September 3, 2026

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Every new school year brings an opportunity to build something special from the very beginning: a culture where students feel connected, heard and valued. At Narrative 4, we are excited to be part of that journey.

Narrative 4 works with K–12 schools to harness the power of storytelling to build stronger relationships, encourage deep listening and create more connected school communities.

Starting with Stories

At the heart of our work is the Story Exchange.

Students share a personal story with a partner, listen carefully to their partner’s story, and then retell it. It is a simple process that asks students to do something increasingly important in our busy world: stop, listen and pay attention to another person’s experience.

Through these exchanges, students can discover shared experiences, appreciate different perspectives and begin to see their classmates in new ways.

Backed by Research

Our approach is grounded in research as well as experience in classrooms. A 2026 study from the University of Oxford and The Ohio State University, examined the impact of Narrative 4 programs with 380 high school students across five Kentucky school districts.

The controlled study found that students who participated in Narrative 4’s Story Exchange experienced reduced political polarization, stronger perspective-taking, increased respect for others and greater willingness to engage with people who hold different views.

Read more about the study here.

Lesson Plans And Support: The Narrative 4 Advising Team and Staff will help you establish the program in your school. You will also have access to resources and facilitator training.

From Stories to Action

Our work does not stop with sharing stories. Through Civic Engagement Projects, students can take the ideas and connections developed through storytelling and turn them into action. They identify issues that matter to them and workshop ideas together to create solutions to issues in their communities. The journey is simple:

Share. Listen. Connect. Act.

Find out more about how you can bring Narrative 4 to your campus here or your school here.