2025 School Days

During School Days, local schools bring kids on their annual Storytelling Festival field trip to spend a few hours listening, laughing, and forming core memories with world-reknowned storytellers.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

8:45–10:35 a.m. Group 1

12:00–1:50 p.m. Group 2

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

8:45–10:35 a.m. Group 3

12:00–1:50 p.m. Group 4

Thursday, October 23, 2025

8:45–10:35 a.m. Group 5

12:00–1:50 p.m. Group 6

Storytelling is a vital part of early education. The crafting of stories helps children learn how to organize thoughts and experiences into a thoughtful narrative. This ability is crucial for clear communication in the business, research, marketing, the arts and many other industries.

By encouraging our schoolchildren to appreciate the art of storytelling, we are giving them a firsthand look at the power of words, and the importance of communicating those words in an entertaining, yet succinct, way. Many thanks to our North Alabama legislators for making it possible for our school kids to attend the festival during our School Days free of charge!

Student Storytelling Competition

Our student competition starts in Athens City and Limestone County school classrooms under the instruction of our wonderful educators. The kids are encouraged to participate by either reciting well-known fairy tales, original stories, or even long-form jokes in front of their classmates. Their teachers work with them to refine their performances and choose winners from elementary, intermediate, middle school, and high school tiers. Then we get to hear them perform on stage Tuesday night when they take the stage to perform in front of their families and friends.

Then, the kids get to share the stage with the professional tellers Thursday night during the Tellers Olio. What great experience this gives the kids, both in crafting stories but also in the art of presenting them.

The Heroes of Our Story!

Senator Tim Melson
Senate District 1

Senator Tom Butler
Senate District 2

Senator Arthur Orr
Senate District 3

Senator Larry Stutts
Senate District 6

Representative Ben Harrison
House District 2

Representative Parker Moore
House District 4

Representative Danny Crawford
House District 5

Representative Andy Whitt
House District 6

Representative Phillip Rigsby
House District 25