Storytelling

Why Storytelling Matters at Breakthrough

Storytelling is central to how Breakthrough communicates impact. Across our Collaborative, affiliates are generating powerful stories —stories of student growth, developing Teaching Fellow, community partnership, and local wins. While each affiliate tells its story in a way that reflects its community, together those stories help demonstrate the full scope and strength of Breakthrough’s impact nationwide.

Telling the Full Story of the Collaborative

Each affiliate answers the question “What difference does Breakthrough make?” a little differently—and that’s what makes our network special. When we elevate local stories alongside one another, they create a richer, more comprehensive national narrative. This system helps ensure we can tell the story of the full Collaborative, while amplifying affiliate voices and successes to both national and local audiences.

What This Storytelling System Is

This system is a simple submission form and workflow that allows affiliates to share stories for national amplification or submit story ideas and receive support from the National team in producing them. “Stories” can take many forms—alumni profiles, programmatic wins, events, partnerships, and more. They may be shared as written pieces, videos, Q&As, or social media content—anything that captures the Breakthrough spirit in action.

How We Got Here

Affiliates have consistently shared the need for a clearer, more consistent way to surface and share stories across the network. Storytelling has often been reactive, and many affiliates operate with limited communications capacity. Through feedback gathered at National Conference, surveys, interviews, and prototype testing with affiliate staff, we learned that affiliates needed a system that was low-lift, flexible, and supportive.

Designed With Affiliates, for Affiliates

What emerged is a system built to meet affiliates where they are, offering two clear pathways: sharing stories you’ve already produced locally, or partnering with National to help bring new story ideas to life. By making storytelling easier and more collaborative, we can better communicate Breakthrough’s impact—together.