Speak Story Series has a long-standing commitment to community outreach. In addition to sharing a concert of stories on the second Tuesday of each month, each guest artist visits an organization in the community to share a program of stories, a storytelling workshop, or to lead a community discussion.

In the summer of 2019, Speak received a gift to further support our outreach efforts for the remainder of our seventh season and part of our eighth season. Recognizing the power and prominence of storytelling, Shepherd University President Mary J. C. Hendrix authorized a $6000 gift made to Shepherd’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities Speak Storytelling Series, specifically for outreach into the community and the public schools.  The moneys are targeted to send storytellers into the schools to share the stories, heritage, and cultural traditions of the region with school children and others in the community.