named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Professional Development Workshops
Customized workshops for diverse professionals including educators, naturalists, librarians, lawyers, medical practitioners, and organizational leaders to improve narrative communication skills.
Story Library and Curriculum Exchange
Online resource hub offering a curated story library, lesson plans, and a curriculum ideas exchange for educators and storytellers.
Storytelling in the Classroom
Arts-in-education program providing teachers and caregivers with storytelling techniques to enhance speaking, listening, and literacy skills in children.
The Heather Forest Collection
Curated collection of storytelling recordings, children's picture books, and folktale anthologies by Heather Forest for educational and family use.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Storytelling and Literacy Resource Development 3 activities
- Develop and share curriculum materials and lesson plansCreates and maintains storytelling-focused curriculum materials, including lesson plans, storytelling activities, and language arts ideas, and supports a Curriculum Ideas Exchange where educators can contribute and access teaching resources.
- Distribute educational storytelling resourcesProduces and distributes storytelling audio recordings, books, folktale anthologies, lesson plans, and teacher study guides; maintains a digital library of folktales and fables for student and educator use.
- Operate an educational website and online resource hubManages a comprehensive educational website with storytelling techniques, folktales, fables, lesson plans, and assessment tools, serving over 50,000 monthly visitors and supporting educators in language arts and cultural education.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Deliver arts-in-education programs and storytelling workshopsProvides live and virtual storytelling concerts, in-class workshops, and educational programs to over 30,000 students annually in schools and community centers, primarily on Long Island, NY, to support literacy, communication skills, and multicultural understanding.
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Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Deliver professional development and training seminarsOffers customized on-site and online professional development workshops for educators and other professionals in education, healthcare, law, and nonprofit sectors, and serves as a guest lecturer at universities and the National Storytelling Institute.
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Free Outdoor & Community Theater Productions 1 activity
- Provide public storytelling concerts and community engagement eventsPresents free public storytelling concerts in museums, libraries, cultural centers, and parks across Long Island, NY, and tours world folktales nationally and internationally at theaters, festivals, and conferences.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Conduct research on storytelling and communication artsConducted doctoral-level research on the creative process of storytellers as leaders, contributing to the understanding of storytelling in educational and leadership contexts.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$24K
Contributions & grants$1501%
Program service revenue$24K99%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$33K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$16K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$2K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$2K
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -15.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Forest | Executive Director and Performance Artist | 40 | $16K |
board members · 5
- Bhavani Jaroff — Trustee
- Bill Silverman — Trustee
- James Meyer — Trustee
- Lawrence Foglia — President/Trustee
- Susan Gaber — Trustee
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- Antioch University Government — Hosted doctoral research by Heather Forest related to storytelling and leadership.
- Bell Atlantic Foundation Funder — Funded the development and maintenance of the Story Arts Online website.
- Bell Atlantic Foundation Funder — Provided initial funding for the development of Story Arts On Line, an internet-based educational outreach project.
- Bronx Public Defenders Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest designed and facilitated professional development workshops
- Capitol Community Technical College Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected educational resource.
- College of New Rochelle School of Nursing Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest designed and facilitated professional development workshops
- Constant Contact Partner — Uses Constant Contact for newsletter distribution and email subscription services.
- Curry College Network — Includes Story Arts Online via The Education Resource Center at Levin Library as a selected resource.
- Great Neck Library Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest conducted a staff development workshop on communication through storytelling
- Heather Forest Partner — Featured storyteller and contributor to Story Arts' resources and collections.
- Hofstra University Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest facilitated a workshop at the Literature and Imagination Conference
- Huntington Arts Council Government — Administers the JPMorgan Chase Regrant Program that provides funding support for the Story Arts Institute project in Nassau and Suffolk Counties
- International Association of School Librarians Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected resource.
- International Storytelling Center Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest designed and facilitated professional development workshops
- James Madison University Network — Includes Story Arts Online through its Internet School Library Media Center as a selected educational resource.
- Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected resource in its Literature & Language Arts section.
- Malaspina University Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected resource in its Education Department listings.
- Miami Medical School Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest designed and facilitated professional development workshops
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest designed and facilitated professional development workshops
- National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected resource.
- National Storytelling Institute Partner — Provides storytelling and communication arts seminars as a guest lecturer.
- National Storytelling Network Network — Recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network; Heather Forest has presented at its events
- Newark Public Library Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected resource in its Reader's Den program.
- Seatuck Environmental Association Partner — Client organization for which Heather Forest designed and facilitated professional development workshops
- Story Arts Theatre Partner — Collaborates with or operates Story Arts Theatre as part of its programming.
- Yale University Library Network — Includes Story Arts Online as a selected resource in its education internet resources collection.
- YouTube Partner — Hosts storytelling content on a dedicated YouTube channel for public access
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cross-Curricular and Interdisciplinary Learning Through Storytellingmethodology: cross-curricular_storytellingBy embedding storytelling across subject areas—including science, math, and social studies—we enhance student engagement and learning retention because narrative structures make abstract or complex concepts more relatable and memorable.
- Storytelling for Literacy and Communication Developmentmethodology: storytelling-for-literacy-and-communicationBy using oral storytelling as a participatory educational tool, we improve literacy, listening, and speaking skills because the act of creating and retelling stories strengthens foundational language abilities and engages students more deeply than passive instruction. This approach is especially effective in underserved communities where students may be at academic risk.
- Values and Cultural Education Through Folktalesmethodology: values-education-through-folktalesBy using traditional folktales and ancestral narratives, we teach personal values and cultural heritage because stories model consequences of behavior and preserve intergenerational knowledge, enabling learners to reflect on ethics and identity through imaginative contexts.