Our Programs

Literature belongs to everyone.

People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos brings carefully chosen short stories and guided literary discussion to the places where people already gather.

Explore Community Partnerships Watch the Program in Action
Two People & Stories participants listening and reflecting during a current program.
Participants in a current program featured by PBS's State of the Arts.

The Essentials

A sustained experience, not a one-time lecture.

Most programs meet once a week for eight weeks. A trained coordinator reads each story aloud, then invites participants to return to the text, consider different interpretations, and respond from their own knowledge and experience.

Eight-week seriesTime to build trust, confidence, and a shared reading practice.
English and SpanishPrograms designed around the language and needs of each group.
Free to participantsStories and program materials are provided.
Trained coordinatorsSkilled facilitation keeps the literature and participants' ideas at the center.

The Method

What happens each week

1

Read aloud

A literary short story is heard together, making the experience accessible across reading levels.

2

Return to the text

Participants look closely at language, images, characters, tensions, and choices in the story.

3

Discuss together

Thoughtful questions make room for different interpretations without searching for one "right" answer.

4

Write and reflect

Optional writing helps participants deepen an idea or connect the literature to lived experience.

Program Formats

One method, shaped for each community

People & Stories Classic

English

Our signature English-language series combines reading aloud, close attention to the text, guided discussion, and optional writing.

Gente y Cuentos

Spanish

Our Spanish-language program welcomes participants into literature selected for rich interpretation, cultural resonance, and meaningful discussion.

Crossing Borders

English or Spanish

Participants from different backgrounds meet as equals around literature, discovering connections while listening across differences.

Programs may also include: more sustained writing, guest authors or poets, public "Try It" sessions, and other elements developed with a community partner when funding and program design allow.

Where We Work

Programs meet people where they are.

  • Senior and residential communities
  • Immigrant and multilingual communities
  • Correctional and reentry settings
  • Recovery and transitional-housing programs
  • Adults with disabilities
  • Libraries, schools, museums, and community organizations
Meet Our Community Partners Explore the Corporate GO-GO Program

Could People & Stories serve your community?

Tell us about your organization, the people you serve, and what you hope a literature program might make possible.

Email Debra