About us
What is this?
The School of Us is a small, community-rooted learning club for people who like getting curious and experimenting together.
At a moment when many of our political and social systems no longer feel up to the task, we’re interested in what new forms of learning, coordination, and care might emerge when people come together on purpose.
We host short, participatory gatherings—usually 2-3 hours—in coffee shops and other community spaces around Snohomish County. These are not lectures or panels. They’re hands-on social experiments in listening, storytelling, and collective sensemaking that channel our individual skills and knowlegde into a shared genius and creativity that's bigger than all of us.
What we do?
We hope future events might include…
- Story Swaps: paired storytelling experiences that encourage deep listening across difference
- Jams and Pub Sings: participatory music-making to build trust and joy, share traditions, and practice collaboration/improvisation
- Community-Centered Media: Pop-up newsrooms, zine-making, video and podcast production, and other practices for sharing community information
- Culture and skill-sharing: Language swaps, interfaith events, salons (art, poetry, current events), local field trips, community gardening/permaculture
- Community organizing and Mutual Aid to build civic muscle
- You tell us! Everything is designed to be shaped by the people who show up.
What we believe (loosely):
- Everyone has something worth teaching and learning
- Communities get better at solving problems when more people (and more kinds of people) participate
- Good questions matter more than perfect answers
- Learning can be playful, imperfect, and a little weird
Who's this for?
- You might enjoy this if you...
- Like meeting people outside your usual bubble
- Are curious about community, culture, or civic life—but allergic to bureaucracy
- Miss spaces that feel alive, experimental, and human-scaled
- Want to practice being together in new ways
Actual videos of our group are coming soon! But for now, please enjoy some thoughts from David Graeber that helped to inspire this group:
Upcoming events
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Storytelling Workshop!
Jennings Park, 6224 53rd Dr NE, Marysville, WA, USUnlock the power of your personal story and connect more deeply with your community in this collaborative, hands-on workshop for aspiring artists, writers, and change-makers. Instructor Kristen Clark, formerly a documentary producer for Nat Geo and NPR, will guide the group through a series of fun, creative exercises to help you surface and share experiences from your own life. Then, you'll team up with a partner for a deep listening activity zeroing in on your story’s deeper meaning and identifying the narrative details that'll help you tell it with maximum impact. At the end, you'll have a chance to put it all into practice in a mini “Story Slam.”
In the spirit of our country's 250th anniversary, this workshop will explore stories connected with our identity as Americans, among other themes.About The School of Us Story Project
Got a story? You’re in the right place.This is a space for people across Snohomish County to tell real stories about their lives—out loud, in community, on their own terms. Some people come to develop stories for a personal creative project, or to practice their public speaking skills. Others come to connect, reflect, or make sense of something they’ve lived through. No performance or writing experience required—just a willingness to be real.
Right now, we’re gathering stories in a few different ways:- Storytelling workshops (including upcoming sessions through Marysville Parks and Recreation, May 10 and June 7th)
- Story Swaps—small, guided group experiences designed for connection and focused around a topic or theme (by invitation only for now; reach out using this contact form!)
- A call-in story line where you can share a piece of your story anytime: (701) 732-0233
We’re especially interested in stories that help us understand each other a little better:
- moments tied to identity, belonging, your hometown, or what it means to be American
- experiences with work, burnout, layoffs, and navigating a changing economy
- experiences that shaped who you are, or changed your mind about something important
- stories that make us laugh, wince, or say “wait, that happened to you too?”
Down the road, we hope some of these stories might grow into podcast episodes, local media pieces, community support groups, or even live performances (similar to The Moth’s Story Slams). For example, we’re currently exploring an in-person event about the experience of living in America right now, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.
Others might spark something quieter: a new collaboration, a sense of solidarity, or just the relief of being heard.
If you’ve been wanting to tell a story—whether for creative expression, public speaking practice, community building, or just to get it off your chest—this is a place to start.
This project is part of The School of Us, a new local initiative focused on building connection, civic imagination, and shared understanding through storytelling and participatory media. We’re also teaming up with Snohomish Podcast Network and a few other local partners. Reach out if you’re part of a nonprofit, faith community, school, or other local organization and would like to bring this experience to your network; we’d love to collaborate!1 attendee
Past events
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