Storytelling is as old as humankind yet as new as this morning's news headlines.

We have told stories since the beginning of time. They are the narratives of life, spanning the centuries and connecting the generations. They are the vessels in which we carry our history and traditions, our values and lessons for living, our hopes and dreams.

Storytelling encompasses virtually every facet of human endeavor. This ancient tradition is at the heart of the human experience and is just as vital today, just as much a thread of our social fabric, as ever before.

Inspired by an international renaissance of storytelling, people around the world are turning to the ancient tradition of storytelling to produce positive change in our world.

The International Storytelling Center—to further infuse storytelling into the mainstream of our society—is building nearly 40 years of history to promote the power of storytelling and its creative applications to build a better world.