UND Communication Department

A new storytelling resource created by UND Communication is already making an impact.

With support from UND CONNECT, Assistant Professor Emily Gibbens-Buteau worked alongside Communication students Laura Sorenson and Mia Nixon to develop the Rural Storytelling Toolkit, an open educational resource designed to teach journalism, media literacy and digital storytelling.

This summer, UND TRIO Upward Bound students piloted the toolkit by interviewing peers, staff and alumni to create stories celebrating the program's 60-year history while gaining hands-on experience in ethical storytelling and multimedia production.

The completed Rural Storytelling Toolkit will be available for high school educators to implement in classrooms beginning in fall 2027, helping students across the region discover the power of telling their own communities' stories.

Read the full UND Today story by Chloe Piekkola here: https://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2026/07/und-connect-toolkit-teaches-students-about-storytelling/

We're proud to see the UND Constitution Day Project continue to make an impact, with the photo exhibition now on display at the North Dakota State Capitol. The project highlights the stories of 15 new Americans from 14 countries and continues to grow through the work of UND students, faculty, and community partners.

In the Grand Forks Herald feature, student interns Lauren Huso and Kiera Musil reflected on what they learned through interviewing participants and sharing their stories. Kiera shared that one of her biggest takeaways was learning "the art of listening... to understand experiences and not just reply," while Lauren emphasized approaching every person with curiosity and grace because "you never know what someone's going through or what someone has been through to get where they are."

Congratulations to Lauren, Kiera, Dylan, Dr. Joonghwa Lee, and everyone who helped bring this meaningful project to life. We're excited to see the Constitution Day Project continue to grow in the years ahead!

Read the full Grand Forks Herald story here: https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/north-dakota/und-constitution-day-project-exhibited-in-state-capitol-reception-to-be-held-alongside-america-250-event