Story Studio is an award-winning charity based in Victoria, BC. We inspire, educate, and empower youth to become great storytellers – transforming their lives and communities. Since our founding, we’ve worked with over 12,000 young writers through innovative in-person and online workshops and creative writing resources. Our programs boost literacy, support mental wellness, and build social connection through the power of story.
THE CHALLENGE.
THE CHALLENGE.
Young people across Canada face growing challenges, from mental health struggles to disengagement in school and a lack of community connection. These barriers are even greater for youth from under-resourced communities—such as newcomers to Canada or those from low-income families—who often lack access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
Literacy is a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty, providing young people with the tools they need to succeed in school, work, and life.
DID YOU KNOW?
Only 14% of students living in low socio-economic households scored in the top quarter of reading performance within Canada.
HOW WE MEET THE CHALLENGE.
HOW WE MEET THE CHALLENGE.
WE INSPIRE.
Our fun-first unique programming unleashes and cultivates the creativity that lies within every child, using professional techniques and mentors to help nurture developing storytellers. We celebrate and encourage young writers by crafting beautiful publications from their words.
WE EDUCATE.
Our programs cultivate narrative capacity in youth, by improving their ability to take in and understand stories, and their ability to tell them. Storytelling is an essential tool in forging connections among people, and between people and ideas – skills that are critical for youth to survive, thrive and lead.
WE EMPOWER.
Our programs build confidence in youth, by giving them the skills and opportunities to tell their own story. In doing so, we build their resilience, improve their mental health and help them connect with communities near and far.
WE CONNECT.
We bring together emerging kid writers with adult authors and illustrators, so they can learn from each other. We operate both within the school system and outside of it to reach the kids who really need our help. We leverage partnerships with other non-profits and agencies so that we can benefit and support the entire community.
WE LOWER BARRIERS.
We target 80% of our programming towards serving ‘vulnerable youth’ – students who may be at risk in terms of their academic achievement and social functioning. Whenever possible, we offer workshops at no cost to these youth and families through partnerships with other community organisations.
WE LEARN.
With almost 15 years of experience, we continue to iterate and build upon our programming. We use evidence based research methods, (like our 2025 impact study with the University of Victoria) to improve our work.
OUR BIG AUDACIOUS* IDEA
*au·da·cious /ôˈdāSHəs/ (adjective) 1. showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
If a child picks up a musical instrument at an early age, there’s a clear path ahead: from beginner lessons to youth orchestras to the biggest stage. The same is often true for young athletes, who are supported through leagues, coaching, and scholarships.
But it’s not the same for our young storytellers.
When a child shows a passion for storytelling, they’re often left without guidance, mentors, or a community to grow their talent.
At Story Studio, we’re building the infrastructure that helps young writers across Canada develop their voice, connect with peers and mentors, and become confident, creative communicators for life.
Our Impact
Founded in 2011, Story Studio began as a small seed: a hope to bring literacy and creativity into children’s lives by giving them the tools to tell their own stories, in their own words.
To date, we have worked with over 12,000 youth
Each year, we collaborate with 20-30 teachers and classes to deliver our workshops
Each year, we produce around 1500 youth-authored books, creating two copies for each young writer – one for them, one for their school library
We partner with community organisations like the Victoria Literacy Connection (to support their Noisy Kids afterschool reading program) and the Child Care Resource and Referral (to support out-of-school care programs)
FAQs
Each year, we hold workshops with hundreds of youth from the communities around southern Vancouver Island. We partner with schools and non-profits to deliver our programs in a variety of settings, from classrooms to museums. We also make online resources available to youth and educators around the world.
We strive to keep our programs as accessible as possible. With the generous support of our donors and sponsors, we offer most of our programs for free or at greatly subsidized rates.
The Story Studio Writing Society began in 2011 with the hope of bringing creativity and confidence into children’s lives by giving them the tools to tell stories of their own, in their own words and with their own illustrations. The aim was to remove boundaries and allow children to lead their stories wherever they wanted. And we have done just that for almost 10,000 youth.
Volunteers help keep us running. These qualified and generous individuals help us mentor youth in the classroom, edit online stories and serve on our board of directors.
Our head office is located at 2001A Douglas Street, where we share space generously provided by Victoria Child Care Resource & Referral. Our programming is delivered in schools throughout School Districts 61, 62 and 63, and at sites hosted by our other community partners.
If you have a specific question, please email us at info@storystudio.ca
