I'd like to see an organized effort to recruit storytellers on a community level to plan and present special storytelling sessions at schools and libraries. Storytellers could be parents, teachers, librarians - anyone interested in encouraging kids to build their lives constructively. I first saw the value of oral storytelling first hand when working as a counselor at Boys Town, Nebraska. Later, while serving as chairman of the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Justice Commission and Delinquency Prevention Commission I had another chance to see the positive impact of storytelling. I see the continuing positive influence of storytelling on kids and youth.
Kids tend to get jaded by watching stories on electronic screens, large and small.
But when they listen to a story being told by an individual, they form their own images just the way they want them in their own minds. Therefore, they have a stronger and more lasting effect in their lives. Another important method of directing kids in the right direction is by opening channels of communication between teenagers and law enforcement officials. This series featured candid discussions between teenagers and law enforcement officials. Many teens who participated on these programs commented later that their direct dialogue with officers gave them a new respect and a more positive perspective on persons involved with law enforcement.