Your story. Your pace. Your choice.
Before a story becomes a recording, photograph, or public post, the person behind it deserves a meaningful say.
Sharing is an invitation, not an obligation
A young person can have a meaningful experience without turning it into a public story. Writing, drawing, speaking, and listening can all be valuable even when the result stays private. A group activity should not make personal disclosure the price of participation.
If you want to tell a story, begin by deciding what it is for. Is it a private reflection, a conversation with family, a classroom project, or something intended for a public audience? The answer changes what information you may want to include.
Choose a boundary before you begin
Write down what you are comfortable sharing and what you want to leave out. Consider names, locations, school details, family experiences, and identifiable images. You can change a creative direction without needing to explain a private reason.
When another person appears in your story, ask before including their words, image, or recognizable details. Your experience belongs to you, but another person may have their own boundaries about the parts that overlap. Respecting that boundary can be part of the creative process.
Understand where a story will go
Before publishing or agreeing to be recorded, ask who will see the material, which platforms may carry it, how long it may remain available, and whom to contact with questions. Young people and caregivers should be able to review a clear permission process appropriate to the situation.
Public posts can be copied or shared beyond the original audience. Avoid promising that every copy can later be removed. If a project cannot explain its sharing arrangements clearly, pause and ask for more information before deciding.
Practice with a story that can stay yours
Try a short prompt: ‘A place that feels like me.’ You could describe the light in a room, a familiar sound, or the feeling of walking a favorite route. Choose a format you enjoy and stop when you have said enough. The exercise does not need to include a difficult memory to be meaningful.
Community Voices is designed to center youth choice in expression and representation. Public sharing requires a separate permission process. Contact NewRoots to ask how any proposed storytelling activity would handle consent, review, and privacy before taking part.
This original article offers general educational ideas, not individualized legal, medical, or mental health advice. Program availability must be confirmed directly.