We've heard it all before... we rejoice in the retelling!
State Parks & Historical Sites
State Park Tellers Needed
MO-TELL has been involved with storytelling in the Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites since its inception. This tradition was initiated by Missouri Storytelling, Inc. (MO-TELL's) founder, Perrin Stifel.
MO-TELL works with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to provide 10 storytellers to 10 different parks or historic sites each year. $408.33 will be provided for each event.
We are working on our list of storytellers for the Spring and Fall of 2025 now. Please consider applying for these positions. Put together a bio of 200 words or less, your contact information, and a good picture of yourself. Let us know if you have travel limitations.
Joyce Slater will put together all the information and send it to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. They in turn will contact the interested state park's personnel who select a storyteller that fits with their programming. Each park involved makes a list of their top three choices and contacts the storyteller regarding availability.
Some of the storytelling topics to be considered are nature, animals/birds/wildlife, Tall Tales, historic persons and events from Missouri, farming, ghost stories, the Civil War, Westward Expansion, Lewis and Clark explorations, slavery, the Ozarks, fishing and rivers, Holidays and more.
Attached is a description of the program and the information we need from you, the tellers.
Upon completion of a program, each teller hired is required to provide us with an evaluation and a descriptive story of the event, an invoice so that you may be paid, and a photo of yourself at the park for our archives. We need this information to support our grant applications and reports.
All storytellers may apply. Membership in MO-TELL is not required. Please share this information.
If you have any questions, please contact Joyce Slater at joyceslater20@gmail.com or 816-804-2442.
MO-Tell Form for State Park Tellers
Example Biography:
"Joyce Slater has been a professional storyteller for 25 years. She lives in the Kansas City, MO area but will travel anywhere in the state. She uses puppets and songs in her stories so there is lots of participation. Her story themes consist of the following: scary or ghost, nature, animals, pourquoi tales, Ozark tales, historical in third and first person, personal narratives, Holiday stories and Girl Scout camping stories. She has programs about the Civil War, including - Border Wars, Love stories of the Civil War, Civil War women in Missouri from both sides. These can be in costume. Other programs in costume are Mrs. Claus and an Old-fashioned Christmas and A One Room School house revisited."
Joyce Slater
7338 Belleview Ave
KCMO 64114
816-804-2442