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The Stoughton Area Resource Team, Inc.
(START) provides a safety net for those in crisis. Recently, a 30-year old single father of two struggled to find work, to pay for daycare for his children and to secure a home; so much time was spent homeless and hopeless.
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Just Sto Storytelling
126 Manilla
Stoughton, Wisconsin 53589
Phone: 6086588523
Contact Name: Kay Weeden
Coordinator
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Organization Profile
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| Just Sto Storytelling - 2025 |
Amount Funded: $1,000.00 |
| Fall 2025 (October – December): Planning with schools to finalize dates, coordinate grade-level participation, and schedule evening Family Literacy Events. Publicity and outreach to families will begin.
Winter 2026 (January): Storyteller travel and program logistics confirmed. Materials and publicity prepared for schools and families.
Spring 2026 (February – May):
Each of Stoughton’s three elementary schools will host a two-day residency with two professional storytellers.
Programming will include one large group storytelling performance for the 3rd or 4th grade, followed by individual classroom workshops where students explore storytelling skills more deeply.
Each residency will conclude with an Evening Family Literacy Event, inviting parents and caregivers to share in the experience.
Positive End Impact for Stoughton Residents and Community:
This project will directly engage approximately 375 students and 300 parents and caregivers, while also benefiting teachers and school staff who observe and build upon the storytelling activities. Students will gain stronger oral language, comprehension, and narrative writing skills while building creativity, confidence, and empathy. Families will experience literacy as a joyful, shared activity that strengthens home-school connections.
For the broader Stoughton community, Just Sto Stories highlights the value of arts-based literacy programming and reinforces the role of schools as hubs of learning, culture, and connection. The investment in this project will have lasting impact by supporting students’ academic growth, strengthening family engagement, and fostering a community where stories and learning are celebrated together. |
| Just Sto Stories will bring two professional storytellers to Stoughton’s three elementary schools during the 2025–26 academic year. Each school will host a two-day residency that includes a large group storytelling performance for the full 3rd or 4th grade, followed by individual classroom workshops for those students. In the evening, families will be invited back for a Family Literacy Event where storytelling becomes a shared experience across generations.
This project is expected to reach about 375 students directly (approximately 125 students at each of the three schools), along with an estimated 300 parents and family members who will participate in evening literacy events. Parent and school volunteers will provide organizational and event support, contributing an estimated 40 hours of volunteer time across the schools.
The goals of the project are to strengthen literacy by supporting oral language, comprehension, and narrative writing skills; to encourage creativity and self-expression; to foster empathy and positive connections among students; and to highlight literacy as a family and community experience. By combining grade-level performances, classroom workshops, and family events, Just Sto Stories will leave a lasting impact on both student learning and community engagement. |
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