Discovering the Wonder and Joy of StoryMaker

By Jacklyn Taccogna

As a student of the Creative Writing and Publishing program at Sheridan College, my internship at Story Planet will be short-lived. However, within the limited time I have, I can say that the first two times I worked with students in StoryMaker programs have left a lasting impression on me, which I won’t soon forget. 

When I first visited StoryMaker at H J Alexander Community School, I was a bit nervous at first, as I wasn't sure what to expect from the children, despite being informed about them through the orientation and pre-workshop meetings. But Ms. Macdonald’s class were very excited and completely on board once they were given a rundown of the program. 

The class was split into two groups. One focuses on creating a character, and the other helps make the setting. I was in the latter and was completely enthralled by the children’s culmination of their ideas. The super mall. A mega mall that consists of 24 floors, with a golden tower at the top, consisting of a haunted roller coaster and a secret parking lot that leads to a secret room on the tenth floor. Some of the kids were shy or hesitant to participate, but eventually they came around and expressed their own ideas with everyone in the group. I was amazed by their imagination and how their ideas came together. 

My second time doing the StoryMaker program, this time at Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School, was similar. Ms. Burki’s class was more energetic due to the students being younger, but the enthusiasm was the same. This time, I helped with the creation of a character named Cappy Nappy, a grumpy cat who loves to sleep and eat while hating and being allergic to strawberry and chocolate-flavour ice cream. He lives with his owner, Lily, who plays mean pranks on her and has a long-lost owl brother named Toby. It’s nice to see how much the students enjoy creating and expressing their ideas without limitations.

When it came to writing their own endings, all the children were writing away; some came to them more easily, others needed some extra help. Regardless of writing level, all the children contributed and helped create a book that will be published and given to them and to their school. 

I wasn’t the only intern/volunteer there, and they were very attentive to the children’s needs. One child I noticed had trouble with writing and understanding StoryMaker due to mostly speaking in Spanish; luckily, one of the facilitators is bilingual and managed to communicate with them and help write their part of the story. That’s what I was most impressed about: every student had their needs valued and met. People are willing to help them at any given moment. I truly wished I had something like StoryMaker in my elementary school. 

I thoroughly enjoy helping with the StoryMaker Program with Story Planet, and I look forward to many more in the future. 

Intern Jacklyn Taccogna is a student in Sheridan College’s Creative Writing and Publishing program and a fabulous addition to the Story Planet team!