Story District

Story District Story District teaches and showcases the art of true storytelling to inspire and entertain. Visit StoryDistrict.org

Imagine being 16 and realizing your class schedule might be making Black history.Ijeoma Njaka started high school with a...
09/09/2026

Imagine being 16 and realizing your class schedule might be making Black history.

Ijeoma Njaka started high school with a very specific dream: become a public intellectual, show up in documentaries, say smart things about history, maybe bring a little Tina Fey energy to the whole thing.

Then she learned she was the first Black student to take AP U.S. History at her school in about 20 years, and suddenly being “the smart kid” started to mean something very different.

Watch Ijeoma’s full story from Freaks & Geeks this Wednesday, September 9, in the evening on our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/

09/07/2026

At 16, Ijeoma had a very specific vision for her future: become a public intellectual, appear in documentaries saying smart things about history, and maybe channel a little Tina Fey while she was at it.

It was ambitious, a little nerdy, and completely sincere.

What she didn’t know yet was that loving school, and especially taking advanced classes, was about to start carrying a meaning she hadn’t chosen for herself.

Watch the full story on our YouTube channel Wednesday, September 9, in the evening.

Story District teaches people how to find, shape, and tell stories that connect, onstage, at work, and in everyday life.

Follow for more storytelling.

09/03/2026

After weeks of reviewing stories, narrowing the field, and debating some very difficult final choices, the 2026 Top Shelf lineup is officially here.

Top Shelf is Story District’s signature best-of show, bringing back standout stories from our stages and giving them another life in front of a larger audience. This year’s final eight will take the stage at the historic Lincoln Theatre on October 1:

Ali Cherry
Alex Appah
Jay Dev
Jonathan Wolfe
Mike Kane
Mel Barnes
Shedrick Pelt
Zakia Ghafari

We’re so excited to finally share the full lineup, and even more excited to bring all eight stories together for one night.

Tickets are on sale now at https://www.storydistrict.org/

JR Denson was just trying to get rid of two chin hairs.Instead, he put Nair across the entire area where a five o’clock ...
09/02/2026

JR Denson was just trying to get rid of two chin hairs.

Instead, he put Nair across the entire area where a five o’clock shadow would be, grabbed a rag, started wiping… and quickly realized the bottom half of his face was coming off.

Watch JR Denson’s full story from Freaks & Geeks this Wednesday, September 2, in the evening on our YouTube channel.

08/31/2026

He was 14, needed to shave exactly three hairs off his chin, and somehow decided Nair was the safer option.

No razor. No shaving cream. Just a bottle under the sink, a lot of confidence, and the belief that hair removal cream was basically “sorcery in a bottle.”

What could possibly go wrong?

JR Denson’s full story, My Face Was Coming Off, drops on the Story District YouTube channel Wednesday, September 2, in the evening.

At Story District, we teach people how to use storytelling to communicate more clearly, connect with others, and make their experiences memorable.

Follow Story District for more storytelling.

Jessica was 17, packing her favorite clothes and getting ready for one last summer with her Jewish youth group.With Char...
08/26/2026

Jessica was 17, packing her favorite clothes and getting ready for one last summer with her Jewish youth group.

With Charli XCX on the radio, a beanie, contact lenses, and a little Mia Thermopolis inspiration, she had a very specific vision for who she wanted to be that summer.

Watch Jessica’s full story from Freaks & Geeks this Wednesday, August 26, in the evening on our YouTube channel.
Link in bio.

We can finally tell you what we were making room for.Some of you guessed it, some of you were very close, and now we can...
08/21/2026

We can finally tell you what we were making room for.

Some of you guessed it, some of you were very close, and now we can finally say it: TOP SHELF IS BACK.

On October 1, Story District returns to the historic Lincoln Theatre for the 16th edition of Top Shelf, bringing together some of the standout stories from our stages for one night.

This year, we’re choosing from 65 stories, and only eight will make it to the Top Shelf stage.

And for the first time, you’ll help choose who takes the Top Shelf stage. We’re introducing a People’s Choice vote, and we’ll share all the details on Monday, including who you can vote for and how to cast your vote.

Tickets are officially on sale now.

October 1, 2026
Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC
Doors open at 7 PM
Show starts at 8 PM
ASL-interpreted + wheelchair-accessible

Tickets: https://www.storydistrict.org/tickets/topshelf2026

At 20 years old, Shawna Renee was a Black girl from the Midwest stepping into the world of music journalism, surrounded ...
08/19/2026

At 20 years old, Shawna Renee was a Black girl from the Midwest stepping into the world of music journalism, surrounded by critics and journalists who had already been in the industry for decades.

Some of them had no problem making it clear that they didn’t think she belonged there. And it wasn’t only the journalists. Even some artists refused to speak with her or sit down for an interview because they had never heard of her.

Still, Shawna was there, doing the work and finding her place in a space that wasn’t always ready to make room for her.

Watch Shawna Renee’s full story this Wednesday evening, August 19, on our YouTube channel.

08/17/2026

At 14 or 15, Shawna Renee already knew she wanted to be a music journalist. With a mom in television and a dad in radio, she decided to find a way to make both worlds her own.

A lot of stories start with the life we pictured for ourselves. The interesting part is usually what happens once the plan meets reality.

At Story District, we teach storytelling as a practical skill for finding the story in an experience and communicating it in a way people remember.

Watch Shawna’s full story on our YouTube channel Wednesday, August 19 in the evening.
https://www.youtube.com/

08/13/2026

**You can learn to tell stories that keep people listening.**

Story District offers **online and in-person storytelling classes** that help you turn real experiences into stories with structure, personality, and a point of view.

You don’t need to be a performer or have some unbelievable story to start. You just need something you want to tell.

We’ll help you shape it, strengthen it, and get ready to share it. And maybe your story is the next one we hear on stage.

This is **Lupita’s story from Worst Date Ever 2024**. You can watch the full story on our YouTube channel.

Address

1255 Union Street, NE, 7th Floor
Washington D.C., DC
20002

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4pm
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+12026309828

Website

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