Welcome to Story Week!
It’s a fun way to improve your storytelling skills, help us understand each other’s experiences, and tell the story of our work. Just scroll down to find the story submission form, bingo cards, and everything you need for a great Story Week.
We want stories that help people better understand your work, the student experience that’s connected to your work, and your experience as a professional on Duke’s campus.
SUBMIT A STORY
Dive into Story Capture Week, where everyone’s challenged to share written, or audio recorded tales about your work over the last semester. Let’s uncover the treasure trove of division stories together!”
SUBMIT A STORY >SUBMIT YOUR BINGO CARD
Play along with with your very own Story Week Bingo card. Exciting prizes await – be among the first three to submit a bingo (connected, crossed-off boxes vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) or the first to submit a card with all boxes filled in. You can submit or download your bingo card at this link. Good luck!
SUBMIT YOUR BINGO CARD >Your last day to submit stories and bingo card is May 22nd, 2024 at 5:00pm EST
Example Story
When we say “tell us a story” here’s an example…
[Beginning] As a student affairs administrator, my office is a hub of campus life. Sarah, a freshman, popped in seeking advice.
[Middle] She spilled her worries about homesickness and coursework. I offered tips and connected her with resources. By the end of her sophomore year, Sarah had found her stride.
[End] One day, she stopped by my office just to say thanks. It was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to me. In that moment, I realized the impact of my job. Helping students like Sarah along their journey is what makes my work meaningful.
Prizes
Heck yeah, there are prizes, too!
You can win a range of prizes by participating in story week:
Story Submissions
- Most stories submitted: Campfire thermos, Campfire mug, Campfire stickers & magnets, and a $15 Duke dining gift card
- Office with the highest percentage of staff who submit at least one story: Office party!
- Office with the most stories total: Office party!
Bingo Submissions
- First to Bingo: Campfire thermos and a $15 Duke dining gift card
- Second to Bingo: Campfire mug and a $15 Duke dining gift card
- Third to Bingo: Campfire stickers & magnets and a $15 Duke dining gift card
Simple story primer
Need a refresher on putting together a great story? No problem, this ~3 minute video will help you out. It covers the Anecdote Equation, a simple and quick way to put together a short story.
Frequently Asked Questions
a.k.a. F.A.Q.
- ?What’s going to happen to my stories?
First, your story will be emailed back to you so you can use it for any office, departmental, or personal purposes. Then, your stories will be shared with central leadership of Student Engagement and office Directors. We are hoping you also consent to letting us share these stories with communications and assessment staff!
- ?What's the point of all this?
Sure! The whole point of this is to uncover and celebrate all the different stories happening within Student Engagement. We want to get everyone involved in sharing their experiences from their work. By doing this, we can show off the amount and variety of interesting stories across the division. And, if you consent, we will share stories with the colleagues in assessment and with communication folks to really polish these stories and get them out there for everyone to enjoy! It’s all about embracing the wealth of stories we have and making sure they can be heard. That’s how the work we do alongside students and the impact we create, can be seen.
- ? My story involves students, can I still share it?
Absolutely! If your story includes a student, you are still welcome to share that story. Your experience as a member of the Duke community is important to share. You are also welcome to change any names to protect confidentiality!
- ?Telling some of these stories feels like bragging, is that an issue?
Not at all! It’s not always easy to brag on ourselves and tell stories that make us out to be the hero. At the same time, it’s important to share the wins, the triumphs, the moments where we broke through. Those are necessary narratives! So please, brag!
Your Story Week Team
The Pros behind the Prose
STEVEN HAROWITZ
He/Him
Executive Director
Steven Harowitz grew up on a dirt road in the small community of Palm City, Florida where he learned that everything around us is human made and that means it can be changed. He has been a life-long creator in theatre, TV production, and was even an event and roller rink DJ in high school. Today, he is the founder and Executive Director of Campfire, where he has the privilege and honor to work alongside talented and kind teammates. Steven believes deeply in Arthur Ashe’s wisdom that you must “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
EMAIL STEVEN >
Kim Mennemeier
She/Her
Client Engagement Manager
From a young age, Kim has had a passion for storytelling, the great outdoors, delicious food, and building connections with others. After earning her Master’s degree, she’s excelled in working with small businesses that aim to help people. As a leader and instructor at a local Aerial Arts studio, she helped individuals gain confidence and connect with each other. Kim believes that people share more commonalities than differences, and she feels honored to help create pathways for such harmony in her role as the Client Engagement Manager at Campfire.
EMAIL KIM >