Roots · The Story Exchange · Scottville, MI

WHAT'S YOUR Story?

Youth ages 14–24 Local residents telling their stories Story archive Community service
Tell a story → Join Cohort 1 → Donate →
Portals Open Storytellers 18+· Youth 14–24· Cohort 1 launches Fall 2026· #WhatsYourStory
How it works

You give us a story. Our youth give back. Scottville keeps it forever.

Roots is Scottville's youth-led civic service club, a program of Scion Project. The Story Exchange is how it begins.

01

A neighbor tells a story

Local residents share the people, places, and moments that made Scottville what it is.

02

Youth pay it back

Roots members ages 14–24 complete a community service task in exchange for every story.

03

The story lives on

Every story is recorded and added to the Roots archive of our shared history.

Instructions for living a life
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.
What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver
Two ways in

Pick your side of the exchange.

Storytellers · Adults 18+

Got a story worth keeping?

You don't need any special skills or style, just a story about life east of Stiles. A story you'd tell over coffee about a place you worked, a day at school, a notable series of fortunate events, the way Wednesday nights went down.

Tell Us About It →
Youth · Ages 14–24

Ready to do the work?

Nominate yourself for Cohort 1 with a short essay. No application fee, no GPA, no résumé. Just your voice on the page.

Join Cohort 1 →
Season One.

We're onboarding our first Roots crew now. Once training and equipment are in place, the first story-and-service exchange goes live, and we'll share the process as we go. Follow along and watch the archive fill.

Roots · Season One · Fall 2026 through Spring 2027
P26 · Lisa rides.
L'Étape Czech · Oct 3, 2026 111 km Pardubice, Czech Republic
Ride with her →
Storyteller Portal · Adults 18+

Tell us your story.

About 10 minutes. Write it out, or ask us to call you. We'll pair your story with a Roots youth.

Best guess is fine.
How do you want to tell it?*
Trouble with the form? Email hello@scionproject.org
Cohort 1 · Ages 14–24

Nominate yourself.

Live in or near Scottville? Write a short essay and it goes straight to the Roots team.

What would you change about the here & now if you could? Or: what story would you trade? 200 to 500 words.
0 words
Optional. A poem, a photo, a voice memo, a video.
Trouble with the form? Email your essay to hello@scionproject.org