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  • Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures (Fall 2025)

Fall 2025

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures

This Journey invites multilingual storytellers—and those curious about language, identity, and culture—to explore how the languages we speak and the communities we come from shape our stories. Through writing, discussion, and creative expression, participants will examine the connections between language, culture, and self. The Journey celebrates multilingual voices and empowers participants to honor their perspectives and grow as confident storytellers across cultures.

Girls Write Now Collaboratory

This Journey Is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Summer 2026 Journey Now!

Pre-Enroll This Summer

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures Community Experiences

Mentees and mentors in this Journey are required to attend the monthly Journey meetings listed below.

  • Saturday, November 15th, 2025, 1 pm ET
  • Saturday, December 13th, 2025, 1 pm ET
  • Saturday, January 17th, 2026, 1 pm ET

If you’re unable to attend a Journey meeting, you must notify your Staff Lead in advance and attend a community event to make up for it—strongly recommended options include Community Studios, Community Conversations, College & Career Chats, and Salon Experiences.

Journey Circle: Community

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures Courses

In this course, we’ll explore how the languages we speak shape the way we tell stories and connect with others. You’ll create and share personal stories that reflect your own background and culture, using writing or multimedia. Along the way, we’ll look at how different cultures tell stories, and how that affects structure, style, and voice. This is a supportive space to try out new ways of expressing yourself, whether in one language or many.

Writing

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures Mentoring

Mentees and mentors in this Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two hour-long sessions each month. This Journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.

Journey Teaching Artist

Sally Familia

Girls Write Now Staff

Sally Familia (they/them) is a queer poet and freelance editor. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, Familia has a rooted passion for their community. They spent a year serving as senior editor for La Galería Magazine, a Dominican-based magazine for the Dominican diaspora in Washington Heights. They hold a B.A. in creative writing with a focus on poetry from SUNY Oswego. Most recently, Sally’s passions have shifted; now incorporating a strong desire to work with and for the youth. Sally hopes to merge their love for literature, Queer and BIPOC communities, and the youth as they continue to navigate the artist/ professional dichotomy. Sally has been awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize for the poem, “The Trouble with Reminiscing” (2019). They were also nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Brooklyn Poets for the poem, “Esperanza, Republica Dominicana”. Sally is currently working on their first poetry collection.

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Sally Familia

Journeys in the Wellness 360 Adventure focus on using writing and creating as a tool to help support your mental heath and general well-being. It is designed for mentees and mentors who want to embrace self-love and healing in their work.

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures is a Journey in the Wellness 360 Adventure.

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Perspectives on Publishing

Investigative Podcasts (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)

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Investigative Podcasts Journey

The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Spring-Summer 2025)

In this 2-cycle journey, participants will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, you'll learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Through workshops and performance coaching, you’ll develop your own comedic voice. Discover how satire and personal storytelling can raise awareness, inspire dialogue, and challenge the status quo— all while keeping your audience laughing. By the end of the journey, you'll have developed a 5 -10-minute stand-up routine that not only entertains but sparks meaningful conversations about the world around us. Comedy is a form of intelligence, whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.

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