When President George Bush was about to give a speech to thousands who would gather at Federal Hall in New York City, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the inauguration of America’s first president, his speech office needed some good stories. They heard about our expertise in finding and telling stories surrounding New York City’s rich history and asked for our help.
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Challenge.
PHD candidates within the Mechanical Engineering Department needed skills that would enable them to find work in their chosen field after their studies were completed. But many of these students lacked to ability to present their research effectively, due to the highly technical nature of their work and their inability to edit and refine its content. They also lacked good interview skills. We were invited to create a training program that would help these students become more memorable to potential employers and colleagues.
Solution.
Our Storytelling For Scientists training program enabled students to learn how to make their facts, figures, and data more story-friendly. Participants learned how to create a narrative structure for their presentations, how to tap into emotions, use visual language, silences, and how to adapt to their audience.
“Your workshop was invaluable in helping me identify what is important to the listener and what isn’t! This is especially helpful to scientists like myself, who often get caught up in proofs and data to the detriment of the listener.”
Amy Gruenberg,
PHD Candidate, Engineering Department
Challange
Solution
We reached in to our existing storehouse of rich material and we combed historical archives for rarely heard anecdotes about George Washington’s tenure in New York City, during the nations first two years. The White House Speech office was thrilled with the unusual, humorous, and imaginative material, which they had never run across. The new stories were included in the president’s opening remarks.