Berättarministeriet

Berättarministeriet is a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire children aged 8-18 in under-privileged areas to conquer the written word. The Robert Weil Family Foundation was through Proventus initiator and co-founder and is one of the long term partners.

Berättarministeriet aims to reduce the negative consequences of segregation on children’s schooling by supporting teachers and students in areas with high unemployment in their daily teaching. Berättarministeriet runs education centers in Husby and Hagsätra in Stockholm and in Gamlestan in Gothenburg. The primary schools are offered free school programs that attract students, regardless of level of knowledge, to conquer the written word. The programs are based on the curriculum and are developed in dialogue with the teachers to meet their specific pedagogical conditions and challenges. The programs are progression-based and act as a cross-disciplinary support for teachers and their work teams. All school programs begin in Berättarministeriets education center, where school classes are welcomed by staff and volunteers.

Berättarministeriet works with volunteers that every day take time out of their regular schedules to support, encourage and inspire children in their writing and listen to their stories. Inspired by the American organization 826, founded by writer Dave Eggers, Berättarministeriet opened its first creative writing center in Södertälje in 2011. A second writing center opened in April 2013 in Järva, an area north of Stockholm. In 2015 a center opened in Hagsätra, south of Stockholm and in October 2017 Berättarministeriet opened in Gothenburg. More than 5000 children have already visited Berättarministeriet.