Learn about storytelling project 'We Listen' on Feb. 3 at Penn State Beaver

MONACA, Pa. — Humans are storytellers. It’s in our nature.But we’re often not so good at listening.Because listening is hard. It requires care, openness and empathy, and we don’t always have the time or space to offer that to others.That’s why Penn State Beaver is launching the University-wide storytelling project called "We Listen."We Listen creates intentional spaces for members of the Penn State community to share their stories of lived experiences and listen to the experiences of others. The stories are then recorded, collected and shared.We Listen began on the Harrisburg campus in 2011 and has since evolved into a multi-campus program.“Our goal is to build a community where everyone feels belongingness and everyone feels encouraged,” said Juliette Storr.Storr, an associate professor of communications and the Beaver campus coordinator for We Listen, has long recognized a need for this kind of project, where the aim for empathy is intentional but the outcome organic and dependent on the participants.“I like the impact stories have on people,” Storr said. “When you tell a good story, people are motivated to give feedback; they’re motivated to share.”The basics of the We Listen project are identical across the University — University Park buys the recording equipment and trains participants. But each campus is tasked with deciding when to listen, who to listen to and how to distribute the finished product.Currently, many stories are being shared on the University’s We Listen website, welisten.psu.edu/. But Storr envisions the project getting weaved into classes, student organizations and community gatherings.For example, the Harrisburg campus used We Listen in its first year seminar. Lehigh Valley used it during orientation, faculty and student leadership events. And at York, We Listen has become a staple of the international student community.“It’s an opportunity for us to learn and grow in ways we thought not possible,” Storr said.If you want to learn more about the We Listen project, have an idea for its implementation or simply love storytelling, Storr invites you to join her and University Co-Director Heather Hughes for an information and brainstorming session at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the Student Union Lodge.For more information about We Listen, visit welisten.psu.edu/.