Now offering 2 bonus hours for a short reflection video. 💌 Details on our Student Volunteering and Community Hours page. 💕
Healing Stories: A Creative Writing Workshop for Indigenous Learners
Facilitated in partnership with Project Tight Knit & HRIC
Program Lead - Natascha Ibowski, Creator & Facilitator (healingstoriesprogram@gmail.com)
Our Goal
The heart of Healing Stories is creating a safe and supportive space where participants can transform lived or ancestral experiences into written voice. First piloted with Indigenous learners, the program is rooted in trauma-informed practice and fosters healing, cultural connection, and the confidence to communicate one’s truth. We welcome new communities, partners, and supporters to walk with us in expanding this vision.
Who We’re Working With
Healing Stories was created and is facilitated by Natascha Ibowski. The first cohort was hosted with the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC), supported by Project Tight Knit and York University’s Agents of Change program. While it began as a literacy initiative for Indigenous learners, the program has grown into a flexible model that can be adapted for diverse communities seeking resilience through story. If you represent a community, organization, or center interested in exploring a cohort, we’d love to connect.
Program Length
A six-week journey of weekly 120-minute sessions blending reading, guided writing, storytelling prompts, grounding practices, and group reflection. Each session is designed to be gentle yet powerful, helping participants connect with their voice, strengthen confidence, and build community. Want to bring this series to your group? Reach out to explore how we can adapt it to your community’s needs.
Curriculum Focus
The pilot cohort drew inspiration from From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle, using memoir as a mirror for resilience, belonging, and survival. Future cohorts adapt readings and prompt to the group, always centering expressive writing as a tool for healing and transformation. We invite partners to collaborate in tailoring Healing Stories for their communities, blending memoir with materials that resonate most deeply with participants.
Bring Healing Stories to Your Community
Healing Stories, A Memoir Writing Journey began as a pilot at the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC), supported by Project Tight Knit and York University’s Agents of Change. Since then, it has continued to grow, offering a model that can be adapted for communities seeking healing through story.
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We welcome inquiries from participants, community organizations, and potential partners. Together, we can create spaces where stories strengthen identity, interrupt cycles of harm, and open paths to healing.
