StoryTruths

StoryTruths is a digital storytelling platform designed to help schools capture and share authentic stories from within their communities, and to build school capacity for promotion through marketing-centered professional development. In practice, many public schools lack the internal capacity, strategic clarity, and content systems needed to communicate consistently — even when the school is doing excellent work.

At the same time, student voice and user-generated content are some of the most credible forms of storytelling available to schools. The opportunity was to align student content creation with institutional brand narrative and to equip educators and school leaders with the strategic tools to sustain narrative change over time.

 THE CHALLENGE

Originally developed as a student-centered video content tool, StoryTruths was technically robust but lacked a clear strategic positioning tied to broader institutional needs — particularly around how schools manage narrative, reputation, and community connection.

The challenge was twofold:

1. Reframe the platform from a generic student video tool into a strategic vehicle for amplifying student voices in service of school brand narrative.

2. Expand the platform by building an educator-oriented product that paired professional learning on narrative strategy with consultative support for school leaders — enabling practitioners to use storytelling as a tool for narrative change and community engagement.

The strategic tension was in turning what had been a functional tool into a brand narrative ecosystem that served both practitioners and students, and then communicating a clear value proposition for schools that often lack a solid understading of markeing, branding and promotion.

MY ROLE

As the lead on StoryTruths development, I:

• Defined the strategic narrative framework positioning the product as a school brand storytelling platform

• Reimagined the student experience as a brand asset development tool

• Designed and articulated the educator capacity building product

• Developed professional learning content on marketing, narrative strategy, and community engagement

• Built consultative offerings to support school leadership in narrative campaign design

• Aligned both product tracks with institutional storytelling principles, visual identity systems, and targeted outcomes

My role bridged product strategy, narrative design, marketing strategy, and professional development

THE APPROACH

Rather than incrementally updating features, I repositioned StoryTruths around two strategic pillars:

1. Student-Driven Narrative as Institutional Asset

The product shifted from being “a video tool” to being a storytelling engine for school brand narrative. This reframing:

• Centered student voices as authentic storytellers

• Structured student outputs as narrative assets aligned to institutional goals

• Integrated guided modules that taught creative communication with strategic intent

Student content became both the fuel and proof point of a school’s brand story.

2. Educator Professional Development + Consultation

To support sustainable adoption, I developed an educator product offering:

• Professional learning on narrative strategy and brand positioning

• Workshops on leveraging student content for community perception

• One-on-one consultation with school leaders to design narrative campaigns

This elevated the platform from a tool to a strategic practice within districts.

Across both tracks, the underlying theme was the same: narrative clarity builds institutional trust.

OUTCOMES

• Drove early-stage SaaS adoption with 147 new platform users in three months, validating repositioned messaging and onboarding strategy.

• Onboarded seven school districts, expanding StoryTruths’ organizational footprint through refined product positioning and implementation support.

• Generated nine strategic proposals and pitches, creating new business opportunities through narrative-driven executive presentations.

• Produced and delivered 12 professional development modules and webinars, extending the product into educator capacity building and district marketing support.

• Trained 350 educators and school leaders, strengthening institutional storytelling and brand strategy capacity at scale.

• Supported 15 consulting clients within NYC Public Schools, improving enrollment marketing, fundraising communications, and community engagement through tailored narrative frameworks.

• Developed complete school branding packages — including identity systems, websites, and messaging frameworks — reinforcing product credibility through applied implementation.

• Produced branded video and promotional assets distributed across paid-media channels to strengthen district and nonprofit storytelling.