Narrative 4 Ireland was established in 2016 and is a registered Irish charity. We have licenced the Story Exchange programme from the US based Narrative 4 Inc., which was founded by writers & educators in 2012.
We believe stories have an innate power to create empathy in society. Stories can shatter stereotypes and break down barriers and end hate and prejudices.
From our work within the community we know the shortest distance between two people is a story.
The Narrative 4 empathy education units are an evidence based methodology, which teaches young people social and emotional skills and improves wellbeing.
This programme based on the principles of circle work has been proven to increase wellbeing in the classroom and address issues around bullying and poor youth mental health. We equip educators with the tools to bring empathy education techniques into their work.
Join a community of educators across Ireland who believe in the transformative power of instilling empathy skills in youth.
Scientific Evidence
“The students at the N4 Schools experienced all positive emotions more frequently than the national sample. [...] The feelings fear, discouraged, hopeless, and sad were less frequent at the N4 Schools than in the national sample, with differences of more than five percentage points between both samples. [...]
The experience that bullying at school was also rare (less than 35.0% of the time at N4 Schools)”
EMOTIONAL REVOLUTION: Empowering Young People to create schools and communites where emotions matter; How do US High School students feel at School?
–The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, August 2016

“I saw a transformation of attitudes amongst the teenagers. They demonstrated a greater awareness of their own feelings. The Story Exchange opened up an undetected skillset”
– Donncha O Treasaigh, Director of Schools at Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board / Former principal of Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh.

Our Funders

Rethink Ireland

JP MCManus

Susie Lopez

Limerick Council

Loretta Brennan-Glucksman

Lorna Byrne Children’s Foundation

POBAL

Creative Ireland

Department of Rural and Community Development

The Ireland Funds

Apple Blossom Fund

Irish Youth Foundation

RTE Does Comic Relief

Consilient Health

Limerick Culture and Arts

Dr. Finola Minihan

Smurfit Kappa