Storytelling and Vocation
A NetVUE Regional Gathering
October 23-25, 2024
In the classroom and cafeteria, on the ball fields and in conversations with friends, all of us are storytellers, casting visions that help foster community.
In these mountains storytelling and vocation share a long history. With guidance from seasoned storytellers, a shared sense of importance of vocation, and time to reflect together, the NetVUE Storytelling & Vocation conference offers a welcoming space for educators to engage with an array of professional storytellers as we consider how storytelling supports students in the process of vocational discernment.
Join us in October 2024 as we ask:
- What stories can we tell to help students explore and clarify their callings?
- How can we develop our own storytelling to encourage students to reflect, as well as act?
- How and when can we encourage students to tell their own stories?
- Why do different kinds of stories, told through varying kinds of media, summon our hearts?
- Where are our stories grounded, and how does place affect our storytelling?
Whether in our own stories, our sacred texts, or our art and music, there is always a before and after to calling. This gathering focuses on that connection by bringing writers podcasters, journalists, playwrights, singers, filmmakers, and others into the conversation with college educators in the Southern Appalachian region.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Costs:
- NetVUE member day rate (no lodging) – $50
- NetVUE member participants (includes lodging) – $100
- Non-NetVUE member day rate (no lodging) – $100
- Non-NetVUE member participants (includes lodging) – $300
The deadline to register is 23 September. During the registration process, you will be able to indicate lodging requests.
Questions? Please contact Karen Shaw at [email protected]
This conference will run from Wednesday evening, October 23, through noon on Friday, October 25, 2024. Events will include panel discussions, workshops, a concert, and a visit to the Smithsonian-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Educators from King University will host and facilitate, and most sessions will be held on King’s scenic campus – which, dependent on weather, offers a great home base for seasonal leaf peeping.
Audience
The act and art of storytelling belongs to everyone, and so this conference is intended to include many disciplines and interests. While there is a clear affinity with the humanities, we hope that faculty in the sciences, business, and medical fields will join in, along with staff in student services, religious life, advising, athletics, and other areas with significant contact with undergraduate students.
Meals and Sessions
Most sessions will be held at King University, a short drive from the hotel. A shuttle will be provided if necessary.
Schedule (Work in progress – events may be added)
Wednesday, October 23
4.00-7:00 p.m. Registration @ Bristol Hotel
7.00 p.m. Welcome, Storytelling and Song @ Birthplace of Country Music
8:15 p.m. Wine reception @ Birthplace of Country Music
Thursday, October 24
7:15-8:00 a.m. Tune Up You Day: Bhakti Flow Yoga with Heather Dotterweich @ Bristol Hotel
8:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast @ King University
9:00-10:15 a.m. Storytelling, Vocation, and Education: Kiran Singh Sirah @ King University
10:30-11:30 a.m. Storytelling as Vocation: Ty Warren @ King University
11:30-12:30 p.m. Lunch @ King University
12:30-1:45 p.m. Storytelling and Place in Appalachia
1:45-2:45 p.m. The End of the Story
3:00-4:00 p.m. Storytelling on Stage: Katy Brown, Catherine Bush, Terrance Jackson
4:00-5:00 p.m. Visit to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
5:30-7:00 p.m. Banquet
7:30-8:30 p.m. Twin City Radio Theatre @ King University
8:30 p.m. Social time
Friday, October 25
7:30 a.m. Tune Up Your Day: Bhakti Flow Yoga with Heather Dotterweich @ Bristol Hotel
8:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast @ King University
9:00-10:15 a.m. An Appalachian Story of Calling: Hannah Rappleye @ King University
10:30-11:45 a.m. Storytelling, Vocation, and Vocational Discernment @ King University
12:00 a.m. Dismissal @ King University
Travel
For those coming from farther afield, there is a regional airport (TRI), located about 30 minutes from the conference hotel. We will provide transportation for anyone arriving by plane who needs it; some may wish to rent a car for convenience.
Conference Hotel
The multiple award-winning Bristol Hotel will house us. Comfortable, situated downtown, featuring a fine rooftop bar, and only a five-minute drive from King, this hotel is exceptional. The hotel guarantees the conference price of $176.27/night for those wishing to come before the conference; those wishing to stay after will be offered a discount price of $245/night – fall leaves are around their peak at this time, and some may wish to stay to enjoy the natural beauty of the area (this is also why the price is high; those wishing to stay after also have an array of other hotel options that are less expensive). We are near the Virginia Creeper Trail, the Appalachian Trail, South Holston Lake, and several state parks. The Bristol Hotel is downtown, near a wide array of shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Participants are encouraged to explore during their free time.
This event is made possible by the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). NetVUE is administered by the Council of Independent Colleges with generous support form Lilly Endowment Inc.