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I agree with Mark Twain that the difference between “a word and the right word is the difference between lightning bug and lightning.”

Polaroid photo of sign, "Even when your voice shakes, speak the truth" by Loren
Polaroid photo of Loren speaking in classroom

My community organizer training began with Saul Alinsky in 1967 and was augmented by the Catholic Worker. In the decades sine then, I have done anti-war and neighborhood organizing, local and national political campaigns and was a 1998 Bush Leadership Fellow researching the role of stories in community and economic development.
 
In 2001 I created the Public Policy Project primarily to assist low-wealth, immigrant and communities of color to identify, shape and effectively tell their stories of race, poverty, and change. That work includes advocacy messaging and civic engagement projects to bring every voice to the decision making table.  I also teach storytelling for mission and brand for the University of St. Thomas’ Executive Leadership Institutes.

(all workshops can be made available online)

Storytelling for Community Building and Social Change

It is not enough to know there is a problem, you have to understand how and why your participation matters. This is the gift of stories. These are hands-on working sessions to teach specific story-based techniques for supporting social change, including: Story Circles, Oral History, Message Formation and Testimony.

Advocacy Messaging

Hands-on framing of your essential advocacy messages, then specific training to effectively tell stories that matter and invite action.

 

Stories of the “Other"

A participatory dialogue about bias in our lives and how the critical issues of race, sex and class are revealed in our stories of the “Other”. 

 

Consulting Services   

I am happy to provide consulting services for organizations and groups including campaign/project design and management, message framing, and speechwriting.

 

Coaching   

I coach individuals and groups to help you to effectively present your advocacy, campaign or policy messages to the audience you want to reach.

“Loren is very good at listening, at identifying the human connection in political and social justice issues and then moving a group to memorable messages.” 

—Kris Nelson,

CURA, University of Minnesota

Sixth Grade Story
Told in 2018 for Poetry Happy Hour

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