Folktellers in Royal Oak has announced that it launched a pilot called the Transmedia Storytelling Program for school children with an interactive YouTube Video Contest based upon their new “Excerpts from an Unknown Guidebook Series.”
After last year’s release of “Book I: Phases of the Moon” in the series, Folktellers is bringing its storytelling adventures into the classroom — the first program is with fifth graders at Upton Elementary School in Royal Oak — before expanding in schools around the country.
In a partnership between the Folktellers team (Carl Winans, Stephen Sadler, Amy Weber, and Josef Bastian) and the staff, students, and administration at Upton Elementary, fifth graders will be part of a video storytelling contest. Over the next few weeks, students will read “Book I: Phases of the Moon” and then design, develop, and produce their own “folk-tale” video to be hosted on the Folktellers YouTube Channel.
Based upon subscriber voting, winners will be announced at the end of February with prizes being awarded in a ceremony at Upton Elementary.
“This is such a great opportunity to bring the excitement of the entertainment industry right into the hands of students, teachers and parents,” says Weber, executive producer of Folktellers. “As our Folktellers Universe expands, it’s great to have people really becoming an active part of the stories we’re telling.”
This program has been designed to be fun and engaging, while supporting reading literacy, creative writing, multimedia technology, team dynamics, as well as self-empowerment and personal growth.
“We are so excited to be part of this initial program,” says John Grzywack, principal of Upton Elementary. We’re always looking for programs to engage our students in new and innovative ways, while encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and life-long learning. This is the kind of experience these kids will never forget.”
Once the pilot program is complete, Folktellers will be expanding the experience in schools across the country. These activities will continue as Folktellers release more stories in the series over the next few years in various transmedia formats.
