A success story has an unparalleled power to inspire and transform.1 With varying levels of evidence, a success story shows movement in a program’s progress over time, its value, and its impact.2
The purpose of this learning brief is to provide resources that support storytelling in public health. In turn, this will aide health professionals’ understanding of:
What a success story is.
Why it is important to tell success stories.
What tools and strategies are available to develop success stories.
The five elements of this framework are based on the plenary session for the Division of MCH Workforce Development Grantee Virtual Meeting (09/26/18), “How to Tell Your Program’s Story to Key Stakeholders,” given by Deborah Klein Walker, Ed.D.
Trainings from the MCH Navigator
View each of the five sections below and corresponding learning opportunities for: 1) Why tell your story, 2) Engaging stakeholders, 3) Communication strategies and other vehicles for telling your story, 4) Case studies/examples of successful stories from the field, and 5) Additional resources.
Telling Better Stories. Date Developed: April 29, 2020. Source: The Academy for Teachers. Presenter(s): Andy Goodman. Type: Webinar. Level: Introductory. Length: 67 minutes.
Raising Community Voices: The Power of Storytelling in Public Health. Date Developed: April 6, 2018. Source: The Center for Public Health Practice and Leadership. Presenter(s): Elizabeth Bayne, MPH, MFA; Andrea Spagat; Lisa Peterson, MPH. Type: Webinar. Level: Introductory. Length: 91 minutes.
Getting Started and Engaging Your Stakeholders. Date Developed: Unknown. Source: CDC. Presenter(s): Leslie A. Fierro, MPH; Carlyn Orians, MA. Type: Webinar. Level: Introductory. Length: 50 minutes.
Communicating Science: Translating Research for Policy and Practice. Date Developed: June 27, 2013. Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center. Presenter(s): Marjory Ruderman, MHS. Type: Webinar. Level: Introductory. Length: 19 minutes.
Impact and value: Telling your program's story. CDC. The purpose of this workbook is to help public health program administrators understand what a “success story” is, why it is important to tell success stories, and how to develop success stories.
Storytelling Handbook. Hawaii State Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch.
References:
Hawaii State Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch, Storytelling Handbook. March 2016.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Impact and value: Telling your program's story. 2007.
Telling Your Program's Story: Learning Brief
September 2018 Author: Keisha Watson, Ph.D., MCH Navigator
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UE8MC25742; MCH Navigator for $225,000/year. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
A success story has an unparalleled power to inspire and transform.1 With varying levels of evidence, a success story shows movement in a program’s progress over time, its value, and its impact.2