I have had the privilege of visiting maternal and child health programs in the US, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. In all of my reporting, I always led with an in-depth interview or photos to convey stories about maternal and child health outcomes in low-income settings. I have always believed that stories are pivotal to informing audiences and ultimately making policy changes.

While storytelling can come naturally to many writers, some people are more adept at using quantitative data in order to paint a picture of how effective health policies can be for women and children. How do we know if programs are working for communities? There needs to be a mixture of compelling storytelling as well as quantitative research and data.

The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs and the Maternal Health Outcomes and Resource Center have put together a learning module about maternal health storytelling called Leveraging Storytelling for Maternal & Child Health Policy. The course includes

• storytelling in the policy process
• how to craft a compelling story
• learning the core components of storytelling
• identifying your audience, among other course objectives

Leveraging Storytelling for Maternal and Child Health is completely free, and after finishing the modules and passing the final test, you will receive a certificate of completion.

Start learning today.