Wisdom Thinkers Launches “Changing the Story” Program to Support Youth Resilience
Oswego, NY — Wisdom Thinkers Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating clarity, resilience, and personal responsibility, has launched Changing the Story, a 10-week narrative-based social–emotional learning (SEL) program designed to support youth across Oswego County.
This grant was made possible by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation.
Changing the Story helps young people build resilience, strengthen identity, and reduce risk behaviors by guiding them through a process of understanding and reshaping the stories they hold about themselves.
Through culturally responsive wisdom stories, mindfulness practices, and the framework of “re-storying,” students learn to reinterpret challenging experiences, develop self-regulation skills, and create healthier personal narratives. The program supports youth in navigating trauma, reducing substance-use risk, improving behavioral outcomes, and strengthening prosocial skills that contribute to long-term wellbeing.
At its core, the program helps participants recognize that the stories they have been told about themselves — by society, family, peers, or social media — are not necessarily their own. Through this process, students begin to build healthier self-concepts while cultivating hope, resilience, and a stronger sense of personal agency.
Founded by Ralph Singh, whose work used stories to explore resilience, character, and the human experience, Wisdom Thinkers continues his legacy by creating structured spaces for reflection, dialogue, and growth across schools and communities. Its approach is grounded in compassion, dignity, and recovery-aware practices that support both personal and collective well-being. The organization is guided by a collaborative board that includes Penny Morley, Ruth Riddick, Kristin Onderdonk, Lisa Cavallaro, Maryann Roefaro, and Paul Riker.
“Our work is grounded in the understanding that people don’t need to be ‘fixed’ to move forward,” said Sandy Rivers, President and CEO of Wisdom Thinkers. “When young people are given space to reflect and make sense of their experiences, clarity emerges — and that’s where real growth begins.”
Wisdom Thinkers’ programs are designed to be facilitator-led, structured, and adaptable for schools and community organizations. The organization is also preparing to launch a newly redesigned website that will further expand access to its programs, partnerships, and educational resources.
While Changing the Story will serve youth in Oswego County through this grant, the organization partners with communities both locally and beyond to bring its programming to a broader audience.
“Whether in a school, a community space, or a quiet moment of reflection, our goal is to bring clarity to how we understand ourselves and each other.”
The mission of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation is to be a Catalyst for Change to enhance the quality of life in Oswego County. The Foundation will use its resources to stimulate economic vitality, to encourage strong bonds that strengthen the community, and to build the capacity of its not-for-profit partners.
For more information or to explore partnership opportunities, visit www.wisdomthinkers.org. Expanded program information and resources will be available through the organization’s newly redesigned website launching in the near future.