Inspiring Future Storytellers

Storytelling isn’t just for books, it’s the heartbeat of every mission‑driven organization. This Winter Term, Eckerd College students discovered that firsthand as they stepped into the world of local nonprofits to turn real experiences into compelling narratives. Through a “Organizations & Storytelling” course, students joined Tampa Bay Watch to complete reflective service hours while also creating custom marketing content designed to amplify the organizations’ impact. 

Last month, the class spent a full day with Tampa Bay Watch, immersing themselves in the organization’s conservation and education work. 

Their visit began with a guided tour through the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center exhibit gallery space, where students explored interactive exhibits and learned about local ecosystems. After meeting a variety of animals, including horseshoe crabs and ornate diamondback terrapins, the group boarded Tampa Bay Watch’s eco‑vessel for a 90‑minute wildlife boat tour. Students had a chance to witness research trawl net demonstration firsthand, observe wild species, and learn about ways to get involved with Tampa Bay Watch.  

The learning continued back on shore, where students joined staff to help construct Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs), an important tool in improving water quality and restoring oyster habitats. 

The reflective service-learning assignment at the heart of the course asked students to go beyond simply volunteering. They were challenged to connect their fieldwork directly to the themes of the class: storytelling, organizational identity, and audience engagement. 

“The reflective service learning assignment in the course is more than volunteering. This assignment requires the students to reflect on the service they performed and to connect the experience to the course. For "Organizations & Storytelling" the focus was on capturing content through our own experiences that the students turned into social media post designs for the organization. Creating content that creates value and engages an audience takes time to develop.  The designs created by the students included images, captions and hashtags. Since employees at non-profit organizations often perform multiple functions, the students were able to provide valuable marketing work for the non-profit.” Nina Bergbrant, Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing at Eckerd College 

Tampa Bay Watch is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Eckerd College and their students. It’s a powerful reminder that storytelling isn’t just a marketing tool, it’s a bridge between organizations and the communities they serve. 

Read more about the Winter Term course “Organizations & Storytelling”