Laurier-Waterloo Public Library virtual EdTalks lecture explores the power of storytelling

Feb. 17, 2021
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – Wilfrid Laurier University’s Laurier EdTalks: Innovation in Education lecture series is set to explore the power of storytelling in building connections, as a teaching and research tool, and to shape lives. The lecture series is presented by Laurier’s Faculty of Education and Government and Community Relations team in partnership with the Waterloo Public Library.

The Power of Our Stories, featuring Assistant Professor Cathy Miyata from Laurier’s Faculty of Education, will be presented on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. The lecture will be an interactive experience, with opportunities to ask questions.

“Over 20 years ago an Anishinaabe Elder taught me, ‘Storytelling is not about stories, it’s about a relationship.’ Even though at my core I knew it to be true, I am only now beginning to really understand the depth of what he meant,” said Miyata. “Through this lecture, I hope I can show the community just how fundamental storytelling is to who we are and how we connect with one another.”

In her lecture, Miyata will discuss the psychology of storytelling, its importance within human cultures and the ways in which storytelling can be harnessed in research to study lived experiences. Miyata will touch on the significance of storytelling during the pandemic and address how to use storytelling as an effective coping strategy for all ages, a topic she wrote about recently in an article for parents. She will also use her skills as a professional storyteller with over 30 years’ experience to demonstrate the power of stories to the audience.

Miyata has facilitated hundreds of workshops and courses in storytelling for teachers, businesspeople, storytellers and academics. Her storytelling has taken her to Serbia, Mexico, the U.S., Portugal, Sweden, Malaysia, Egypt, Germany and Japan, as well as across Canada, including to many Indigenous communities.

The Laurier EdTalks: Innovation in Education lecture series was launched in January in response to increasing concern about how children and youth are adjusting to remote learning and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lecture series highlights leadership and expertise within Laurier’s Faculty of Education.

Members of the faculty will present virtual talks each month until June. Future Laurier EdTalks lectures will focus on topics including building resiliency, inspiring innovation, computational thinking, digital fluency and physical literacy. Find out more about the Laurier EdTalks: Innovation in Education series.