About Us

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You can be part of the story

Background

Concerned by the declining literacy rate in today’s middle and high schools, Ted Hartley and Dina Merrill created The Story Project enlisting one of Los Angeles’ most abundant resources, creative talent.  Since then, we have reached thousands of kids with our entertainment-arts curriculum made possible by media professionals working in today’s film, television, and music industries.  Our strategy is simple, inspire literacy through avenues they already enjoy. Each and every class occurs in an after-school setting where working writers, actors, directors and production professionals volunteer their time to our students.  Through discussions and activities based in screenwriting, filmmaking, poetry, photography, and an assortment of media and art related fields, the mentors reveal personal stories while inspiring the kids to share their own. It has been our experience that these interactions bolster self-esteem while enhancing reading and writing skills. 


To date more than a thousand at-risk kids have participated in our curriculum and the numbers continue to grow. 


Our mission is accomplished through the constant financial and in-kind contributions from the entertainment community in addition to corporate and individual donors.  If you would like to become part of our story, please contact us at: info@storyproject.com 

We welcome your involvement.


Our Vision
Inspiring Literacy in Students; One Story at a Time

Our Vision

What Makes Us Most Unique

Think about it.  You enter a classroom only to find the writer of BIG FISH, WILLY WONKA, and CHARLIE’S ANGELS is the teacher.  On another occasion it’s a musician whose song you hummed only moments earlier while walking down the hallway.  How about that stunt coordinator who makes a living creating outlandish feats in order to make the impossible, possible?  I bet he has some stories. 

The Story Project’s pool of mentors, all accomplished, working artists, generously volunteer their time and talent to be part of our program’s legacy. It’s recognized that media is a tremendous tool; it makes perfect sense to use that tool to motivate kids’ academic studies all the while validating the fact that the future holds a myriad of possibilities. 

That’s our secret.

Don’t you think it’s time that you be part of our story?