Rise NWI is hosting an event Nov. 19 to help community members gain confidence when telling their stories.

Rise NWI is the Merrillville-based Legacy Foundation’s civic engagement program.

The Telling Your Story event aims to help community members feel confident and comfortable when talking about the causes that mean the most to them. Local advocates will offer tips and tricks on how they tell their story. Attendees will receive support as they work to craft their own messages to use in their communities.

Janine Harrison will serve as the guest speaker. Harrison is a professor of English and media communications at Calumet College of St. Joseph. She serves as an adjunct English instructor at American Public University. Harrison is a freelance writer, teaching artist, speaker, storyteller and arts advocate. She was a Highland (IN) Poet Laureate and has written several publications over the course of her career.

Telling Your Story will take place 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts in Gary. Light refreshments will be provided. Learn more here.

Rise NWI offers nonpartisan education related to local government and opportunities to become civically engaged within one’s community. The program provides training and resources to empower residents to be strong advocates for improved quality of life in Northwest Indiana.