PLUS ME Project
PLUS ME Project is a Los Angeles–based nonprofit that uses personal storytelling to help young people recognize the power and value of their experiences. Through story-based programs for students, educators, and parents/guardians, they guide participants in developing the skills to reflect, communicate, and connect—building stronger senses of identity, empathy, and belonging. Their work combines a meaning-making process, self-reflection and narrative development to help students not only tell their stories but also see themselves as capable of shaping their futures.
Activities
Story Spark Series: Bethanee
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Bethanee
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the power of personal storytelling through the experience of a young woman who grew up in a single-parent household and was told she would not succeed. Through Bethanee's story, students hear how a sixth-grade class play helped her discover a gift she did not know she had: her voice.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and then reflect on the people, places, experiences, and lessons that have shaped their own lives.
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Story Spark Series: Karol
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Karol
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the theme of identity and self-worth through the story of a high school freshman diagnosed with Bell's palsy during her first week of school. Through Karol's experience, students examine how unexpected challenges can test the way we see ourselves, and how the people around us help us remember who we are.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on their own challenges and the lessons those challenges have taught them.
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Story Spark Series: Morgan
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Morgan
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the themes of self-doubt and belief through the story of a high schooler who was unknowingly nominated for prom queen and had to decide whether to let fear win. Through Morgan’s experience, students examine how insecurity can hold us back and how intentional action can help us step into who we want to become.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on the people, places, and memories that have shaped their own journeys.
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Story Spark Series: Christina
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Christina
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the themes of loss, courage, and new beginnings through the story of a young woman whose dream of becoming a prima ballerina ended with a rejection phone call at age fourteen. Through Christina’s experience, students hear how the loss of a dream, combined with difficulties at home, led her to a place where she had nothing left to lose, and how auditioning for a theater program she never planned on opened a new path forward.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on the people who challenge them, the difficult moments they have faced, and the lessons they have learned from their peers.
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Story Spark Series: Valeria
Literacy
1h
Story Spark Series: Valeria
By PLUS ME Project
1h
Students explore the themes of family pride and cultural identity through the story of a young woman who grew up ashamed of her parents' work at an outdoor swap meet—until a conversation with her father changed her perspective entirely. Through Valeria's experience, students examine how the stories our families carry can reshape how we understand our own backgrounds.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on their own family roots, sources of pride, and moments when their point of view shifted.
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Story Spark Series: Seng
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Seng
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the themes of identity, mentorship, and choosing a path through the story of a young man born in a refugee camp in Thailand whose family resettled in the United States. Through Seng’s experience, students hear how two people—a childhood friend and an elementary school teacher—represented two very different directions for his life, and how the loss of his friend and the return of his teacher helped him choose the path that led him to college and back to the classroom.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on the people they spend time with, the places that shaped them, and the lessons their own experiences have taught them.
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Story Spark Series: Jordee
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Jordee
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the themes of family, change, and connection through the story of a young woman whose relationship with her older sister shifted as their family went through a separation. Through Jordee’s experience, students hear how two sisters reacted differently to the same circumstances, how distance and judgment grew between them, and how a decision to join the drama program helped them see each other again.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on their own friendships, the places they feel at home, and the advice they would pass on to others.
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Story Spark Series: Sean
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
1h
•
Grades 6 - 12
Story Spark Series: Sean
By PLUS ME Project
6 - 12
1h
Students explore the themes of integrity, kindness, and perseverance through the story of a young man whose teammate on a youth basketball team taught him what it meant to show up and do the work, even when no one else did. Through Sean’s experience, students hear how one teammate’s quiet character shaped the way he approached challenges throughout high school and college, and how storytelling became a way to honor that teammate’s memory.
Participants identify four story elements within the narrative and reflect on the people who inspire them, the obstacles they have overcome, and the advice they would give themselves.
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Featured in These Collections
Story Spark Series
Social and Emotional Awareness • Literacy
80 Items
•
Grades 6 - 12
Collection
Story Spark Series
By
6 - 12
PLUS ME Project activates the art of personal storytelling to build confidence in youth as they pursue college, career, and life goals. This eight-part series features relatable role models sharing honest narratives of struggle and triumph. Students identify the four essential story elements—Characters, Settings, Events, and Lessons—within the videos and reflect on their own lives to recognize their experiences as assets using our guided worksheets. This collection is divided into two phases: discovering the foundation of stories and going deeper with personal emotions.
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Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.
Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.