Story of You · 2025–2026
Service & Goods Catalog
Our programs, our partners, SOY Academy, the Story of You Store, and how to get involved, all in one place. Flip through it here or download a copy to share.
Read the catalog as text
Why We Exist
Story of You began with a simple but important realization: many of the challenges students face are not just academic.
In classrooms, after-school programs, and homes, we saw students who were capable, curious, and full of potential, but struggling with confidence, direction, and the ability to navigate challenges. Some didn’t know how to manage frustration. Others didn’t see a path forward for themselves. We learn to solve problems on paper in school, but where were the lessons that taught us perseverance and resilience?
These weren’t just gaps in education. They were gaps in how students learn to handle stress, build confidence, make decisions, and understand themselves: skills that shape not just how they perform in school, but how they navigate challenges, relationships, and their own well-being.
Story of You was created to address that gap, to support not just how students perform in school, but how they grow, adapt, and build the skills needed for life. Today, Story of You operates across learning, mentorship, and health access to create cohesive environments where students can develop the skills, confidence, and stability needed to thrive.
Education as Healthcare: a full-spectrum developmental model of healthcare that addresses how people learn, who they become, and the conditions that allow them to sustain both.
The Healing Classroom (The Foundation)
The Healing Classroom is the foundation of every Story of You program. We believe that a well-cultivated environment helps shape how students feel, respond, and participate. A classroom is not just a place where information is delivered. It is where students learn to understand themselves, navigate challenges, and build the confidence to pursue what matters to them.
The Healing Classroom is also a resource hub where we share stories and lessons and showcase the impact of our work. Its goals include access to foundational supports such as nutrition, wellness resources, and connections to healthcare, all critical drivers of an individual’s ability to show up and sustain their growth over time. Read it at storyofyou.blog.
Our Storyline
The Healing Classroom is also a space for conversation. Through our writing, research, and storytelling, we explore the deeper connection between education and health, examining how learning environments shape long-term well-being, health, and life outcomes. Through community partnerships and targeted support, we work to ensure students have the resources they need to show up, engage, and sustain their development over time.
Our Approach: Education as Healthcare
- Education in Practice: collaborative challenges, hands-on activities, real-world learning experiences, and guided reflection.
- Social Emotional Growth: understanding self, managing self, relating to others, making decisions, and contributing to community.
Our community programs (Full STEAM Ahead, Story of You Academy, and The Healing Classroom) bring together education in practice and social emotional growth to create the conditions in which growth, direction, and self-understanding take place.
Full STEAM Ahead
Full STEAM Ahead is an exploratory, experience-based program where students grow through doing. Grounded in the principles of The Healing Classroom, it creates engaging and supportive environments where students are encouraged to explore, take on challenges, and learn alongside others.
Each month, the program pairs a STEAM theme (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) with a dedicated SEL theme of the month, so students build both skill and self through the same set of experiences. Through collaborative challenges, games, and project-based learning, students develop curiosity, resilience, and the ability to navigate challenges in real time.
Sample Curriculum: Math 24
- Week 1, Growth Mindset in Math: the importance of persistence, practiced through the Math 24 game.
- Week 2, Embracing Mistakes: viewing mistakes as learning opportunities.
- Week 3, Sportsmanship and Frustration: deep breathing and positive self-talk to stay calm and respectful during competition.
- Week 4, Celebrating Growth and Respectful Competition: a final Math 24 challenge, reflection, and prizes.
More in the Full STEAM Ahead newsletter archive.
Our Impact
- Over 500 students served
- Serving 2 cities: Charlottesville, Virginia, and Durham, North Carolina
- Schools served: 12 elementary schools (6 Title I), 1 middle school, 2 high schools
- 7:1 student-teacher ratio on average
- Powered by volunteers: undergraduate and graduate students making a difference
Our Partners
At Story of You, we rely on strong community partnerships, working alongside the Charlottesville community that both supports and shapes our mission, and giving back to the same community that invests in us.
- Piedmont Family YMCA: through their after-school program, we integrate STEAM and social-emotional learning to support both academic growth and personal development.
- UVA Health (Community Engagement & Health Outcomes): supports our work at the intersection of education and healthcare, and how social emotional education can serve as a foundation for long-term health.
- The Gregg Gelburd Foundation: enables us to access funding, manage resources effectively, and grow our impact, continuing the legacy of Dr. Gregg Gelburd.
- UVA School of Medicine, Social Issues in Medicine (SIM) course: Story of You is a SIM site where first-year medical students engage in service-based work.
- Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools & DurhamCares: with our origins in Durham, North Carolina, our summer initiatives have served over 200 Freedom Schools students, along with school supply donations.
Story of You Academy
The College Readiness Program embodies our motto, “From Passion to Purpose,” helping high school students discover their passions, shape them into meaningful direction, and develop the confidence to present their authentic selves.
- College Prep: guidance through every stage, from course selection and extracurriculars to high school planning and the college process.
- SAT Prep: a personalized SAT kit with a comprehensive prep book, weekly tutoring, and regularly proctored practice exams.
- Social & Emotional Integration: interview prep, leadership workshops, and resume-building sessions.
The Story of You Store
Wear the story. Carry the mission. The Story of You Signature Tee ($29.99, in cream, white, bay, and jean) is a wearable reminder of growth, resilience, and purpose. Also featured: the Math 24 card game, a hooded blanket, an accent mug, and more. Every purchase supports The Healing Classroom. Visit the store.
Get Involved
- Volunteering: support K–12 education with Full STEAM Ahead. Join us.
- Donations: your donation directly funds our after-school programs, curriculum materials, and community research. Ways to help.
- Community partnerships: schools, healthcare organizations, and nonprofits who share our vision of Education as Healthcare can email admin@storyofyoumain.org.
Contact: contactus@storyofyoumain.org · Instagram @story_of_you_main