Storytellers Project is a nationwide series of live storytelling nights where anyone, from neighbors to notables, can step on stage and share a true, first-person story with their community.

Journalists from USA TODAY Network newsrooms produce and host these nights to serve their community and develop a deeper connection to and greater empathy with them.

We combine journalism and oral storytelling to present a broadly appealing evening of entertainment.

Storytelling is an art form that empowers, and it’s spreading like journalistic wildfire across the U.S. Since its founding in 2011, more than 4,000 people have told their stories at hundreds of Storytellers Project events.