We offer workshops to support researchers, post-docs, and students in how to use storytelling to communicate their science. Our workshops include data storytelling training, research origin storytelling training, and elevator pitch training. We also offer team building workshops to create belonging in lab groups and institutions. Find out more below. If you like what you read, you can chat with us about how we can bring a workshop to your research group or university. Email us at info@storiesofscience.org or schedule a 30-min chat with us by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.

Data Storytelling Training

How do you make a research presentation compelling? One of the biggest secrets in science communication is this: the same narrative strategies that Hollywood uses for creating compelling movies are those that we should be using to talk about our research findings.  In this 2-hour workshop, participants experience demos of research presentations told with and without storytelling components and then discuss how a story format pushes the audience’s thinking forward about the research. Workshop instructor, Dr. Lisa Cantrell—a seasoned science communicator and storyteller— then pulls back the curtain to reveal the components of good stories (tension, stakes, and a pivotal moment) and how those components can be infused into any research presentation. She then gives participants step-by-step guidance on how to turn their own research into a data story and gives instructions on use of graphs and figures. Participants will have the opportunity to practice sharing their data story in small groups and by the end of the session, participants will have a draft of their own research data story and a method for turning their future studies into data stories for presentations at conferences, job talks, and speaking engagements.

Research Origin Storytelling Training

One of the most “asked” questions at job talks and conferences is this: “What do you study and how did you get into it?” We have heard the gamut of responses, ranging from “I just fell into it I guess!” to long rambling too-much-information essays that make a listener zone out. How do you explain what you do and why you do it in a succinct and compelling way that engages listeners and sparks interest? In this 2 hour workshop, participants are guided through prompts and activities to help them develop their own authentic and compelling research origin story—one that is memorable and unique and tells the story of how they got into the research they do and why. By the end of the session, participants will have a 3-minute version of their story as well as a 1-minute version.

The Art of the Elevator Pitch

The elevator pitch. We talk about it often. We say it is important for networking and sharing our research. And yet when it comes to actually doing it, we find ourselves using jargon, spending too much time on details that aren’t important, or not giving the right context for our audience. The elevator pitch is, at its core, a story that should be compelling, focused, and clear.  This workshop is intended to guide participants step by step through building their own compelling, clear, and focused elevator pitch—specifically around their research—and then honing it to 60 seconds. By the end of the session, participants will have a draft of a 60-second elevator pitch and 1-2 short anecdotes that they can use to illustrate their research.

Storytelling for Team Building

Storytelling is how we connect to one another and foster belonging. Within academia and science, creating a sense of belonging is critical. When we do not feel connected to those around us, we are less likely to share our ideas which can mean less innovation in our work and laboratories. Belongingness can foster creativity and freedom to think outside the box while helping us work better in teams to achieve common goals. In this 90 min workshop, participants will come together and discover stories from their own lives and find meaning in those stories through interactive games and storytelling activities. They will then be invited to share their stories with one another in small groups. At the end of the workshop, participants will have forged new bonds with one another and will walk away having learned about using storytelling to communicate their identity and memories to those around them.