Interested in exploring the world around you through creative storytelling? Then the Storyteller Branch of La Sierra LEAF is for you!

This fun, interactive program allows you to delve into the themes of history, food and culture, and current events/social justice using creative outlets such as writing and art. These themes are our roots, but you can branch out in whatever way you want! No matter which topic you’re interested in, we’ll get together on the Discord server as well as in person at Labs & Jams events for workshops and safe sharing spaces.

• The Gilded Age—a time period from about 1870 to 1900—is a fascinating slice of history that has some extreme parallels to what is happening in the world today.
• Immerse yourself in the lives of people not-so-different from us by writing a piece of flash fiction or creating a documentary about past vs present immigration debates. No matter how you choose to explore this era, you can approach it from the angle that works for you.

• Are you a foodie? Is mealtime an important part of your family gatherings? Our relationship with the food we eat can be as layered as an onion, so why not share that with others? (We don’t recommend actually gifting onions, unless your friends are into that.) 
• If you like to draw, you can represent what food and family means to you in a sketch or other mixed media art. If filmmaking is more your thing, share some recipes through a cooking show. Or maybe you’d like to research how certain spices crossed the world and made history in the process.

• The Storyteller Branch is here to give you the context and space to explore your world—including current events and social justice—from a creative and artistic perspective.
• If there is a cause close to your heart that you want to explore, then there’s no time like the present. Whether you want to document homelessness in your community through photography, write a short story about what it’s like to wear a hijab in America, or advocate for native rights through a comic book or online magazine, we’re here to help you along the way.