Story-Driven Relational Bridging

Runs multi-year initiatives including Brightness in Black, StoryCorps Griot, Historias, and OutLoud to amplify voices and stories from Black, LGBTQ+, Latinx, and other underrepresented communities across the United States.

Maintains the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, including specialized archives such as oral histories of New York City transit workers and foundational research on Juneteenth and early African American communities.

Collects and preserves audio recordings of conversations from over 700,000 participants since 2003, with archives housed in the U.S. Library of Congress and online. The organization has provided nearly one million Americans with the opportunity to record life interviews, preserving personal stories across generations.

Conducts the One Small Step initiative, which brings together individuals with differing perspectives—such as formerly incarcerated people and corrections officers—for facilitated or virtual conversations to bridge societal divides.

Hosts annual campaigns including the Great Thanksgiving Listen and Connect250, inviting the public to record meaningful conversations with loved ones, supported by instructional and promotional materials.

Conducts an annual mobile tour and operates a traveling recording booth that tours the country year-round to collect stories. Includes specialized initiatives such as the Military Voices Tour to record veterans, active service members, and military families.

Produces and shares select recorded stories through weekly broadcasts on NPR's Morning Edition, a podcast with new seasons released regularly, animated shorts aired on PBS POV, digital platforms, and best-selling books, reaching more than 20 million people annually.

Offers the StoryCorps App and other self-directed tools to enable individuals to conduct and preserve 40-minute recorded conversations, particularly promoted around occasions like Father's Day and Thanksgiving.

Provides weekly adaptive dance classes for children and youth ages 3–21 with physical and medical challenges, including those with cerebral palsy and spina bifida, taught by pediatric physical or occupational therapists. Classes are offered in three locations across New York: Bayside (Queens), Upper East Side (Manhattan), and Plainview (Long Island), serving up to 125 children.

Hosts an annual culminating performance featuring elaborate sets, multiple costume changes, and professional filming and editing, free of charge for participants and families. The event celebrates dancers, teen volunteers ("Helpers"), and their achievements through a fully produced dance recital.

Delivers disability awareness presentations to elementary school children using the book "Ballerina Dreams" as an educational tool to promote inclusion and understanding of physical disabilities.

Published the book "Ballerina Dreams" in 2007, recognized as a notable book by the American Library Association, sharing stories of girls with physical disabilities pursuing dance and personal aspirations.

Recruits and trains over 180 high school volunteers from NYC and Long Island in a structured leadership program that includes one-on-one peer support during weekly dance classes and the annual performance. Offers semi-annual workshops focused on leadership development, teamwork, and critical reflection.

Partners with national and regional denominational bodies and faith-based institutions across evangelical, historic Black church, mainline Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish traditions to disseminate bridge-building tools and support faith leaders in creating inclusive spaces for discussing difficult issues.

Convenes leaders from evangelical, Black and Brown, progressive, and other communities—particularly in Greater Buffalo—to build trust across differences, prevent violence, and solve shared problems through structured dialogue and collaborative problem-solving initiatives such as the Listening Campaign.

Offers multivocal educational sessions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using a dual narrative approach to present multiple perspectives on core issues, fostering deeper understanding and dialogue across divides.

Produces and distributes the short film "Purple" and accompanying discussion guides to promote perspective-taking and collaboration across differences, reaching over 100,000 viewers across 49 states in universities, schools, religious communities, and government settings.

Delivers expert talks and thought leadership on constructive dialogue and conflict transformation at colleges, think tanks, conferences, and cultural institutions to promote broader understanding of bridge-building practices.