Community Bulletin

Folded Leaf Foundation Youth Storytelling Pathway

The Folded Leaf Foundation is a Northern Michigan non-profit, and we would love to help your students build confidence, earn volunteer hours, connect with mentors, support younger readers, and even become published authors.  

I am excited to invite your students to participate in the Youth Storytelling Pathway, a free after-school program designed to help young people build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, form meaningful connections, and become active members of their communities.

The pathway guides students through three connected programs:

• The Next Chapter Mentor Network pairs high school students with trusted adult mentors for a five-week experience focused on identity, communication, empathy, healthy boundaries, and leadership.

• The Literacy Promise Project gives high school students the opportunity to mentor younger readers as they explore a banned, challenged, or classic book and create a community improvement project inspired by its themes. High school mentors can earn volunteer hours for the time they spend participating.

• The Open Book Project helps students tell their own stories, develop their writing, and, if they choose, work toward becoming published authors.

This is a welcoming and supportive space for students who love reading and writing—as well as those who may not yet see themselves as readers, writers, mentors, or leaders. Participation is free, and complimentary snacks will be available during program meetings (because kids are food-motivated creatures, as you know).

I would be grateful if you would share this opportunity with students and families who may benefit. Thank you for helping connect young people with literacy, mentorship, and meaningful opportunities that make a difference. Email Rachel Zemanek for more information.