Instructional Story Design Certification

A certification worth getting excited about!
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Step 1: The Experience

A 6-week cohort with designers from around the globe

A state-of-the-art blended learning experience that culminates in a capstone project, based on a case study. 

Step 2: Your Story Project

One-on-one mentorship with Rance Greene

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Build a story-based course from the ground up for work or for your own portfolio with step-by-step guidance with Rance. 

Step 1 is a pre-requisite to this course. 

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Badge of excellence

Why is this for you?

Certification prepares you to: 
  • Handle stakeholder conversations
  • Conduct SME interviews
  • Write powerful stories
  • Train with stories in a way that honors the humanity of your learning audiences
The certification means that you are equipped to consult, design and unearth the best story for your learning audience. In addition to the badge, the credentials and the one-on-one mentorship, you'll also receive on-going support to sharpen your Story Design skills. 

Graduates of the program

Certified Instructional Story Designers share their work!

Teresa Moreno

"Rance's direct feedback and coaching have been invaluable in honing my storytelling skills!"

Pixel Perfect

Teresa's goal for certification was to distinguish herself as a master Instructional Story Designer. Her capstone project is an interactive, audio-driven story, aimed at training instructional design freelancers to overcome a common tendency toward perfectionism. 

Marni Levett

"I've had a complete mind shift in the way I look at the learning resources that I design and develop. There is a story in EVERYTHING. Yes, EVEN in compliance training."

Client Data Protection Course

Marni's course topic: Privacy. Sounds exciting, right? Marni has proved that compliance training can be performance-based, not an "awareness dump". 

Stacy Pendergrast


"Rance's story philosophy and groundbreaking instructional design method changed my career and contributes meaningfully to the art of teaching learners! No plug and play--tell stories!"

Take a Breath Before Saying Yes

Stacy's path to certification is a story of its own! During mentorship, she worked with Rance to:
  • Design and deliver a winning pitch at an innovation contest. 
  • Complete the Discover stage for an innovation project before she was let go, due to a RIF in her company.
  • Begin a third project, only to have funding drop.
Finally, she designed and developed a documentary-style story to help teachers deal with stress. She completed the video with volunteer actors, but she had to pull the video for reasons outside her control. So, though her final video can't be shared here, you'll enjoy reading her storyboard of the entire learning experience. Her story-writing is amazing and her thoughtful questions provoke critical thinking. Stacy has earned certification 4 times over! 
The School of Story Design understands that situations in life and priorities at work change. Rance is committed to every candidate's success throughout the mentorship phase of certification. 

Both courses...for less!

FAQs

How much is the certification?
The fee for Phase 1 (The Experience) is $870. The fee for Phase 2 (Project-based mentorship) is $785.   
Can I earn credentialing points for my CPTD or APTD? 
Yes! The School of Story Design has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. The Instructional Story Design Experience (Phase 1) qualifies for a maximum of 12 points. One-on-one mentorship (Phase 2) qualifies for a maximum of 10 points.
What kind of support will I receive after I'm certified? 
The School of Story Design has a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of the certification and investing in its certified designers. Attend the bi-annual Instructional Story Design Roundtable and learn from other Story Designers. Got a course that you're proud of? Let us know and we'll arrange for a special showcase of your work to get feedback from other designers and from Rance. You'll also receive the latest resources that will help deepen your skills, and access to Rance for guidance on future projects. 
Do I have to get recertified? 
The School of Story Design views recertification as an opportunity to increase the skills of its designers and provide valuable feedback on their progress. On the anniversary of certification, Certified Instructional Story Designers submit a progress report to the school. You'll receive personalized feedback geared to keep taking your design skills to the next level.  Recertification is $95/year. 
Are there any additional fees?
Nope. It's required that you complete Phase 1 (The Instructional Story Design Experience) first to practice the basics of Instructional Story Design. If you decide to continue with certification, you may purchase Phase 2 within a year of completing Phase 1. Fees increase slightly year to year. Annual recertification is $95 (see question above). 
How long does it take to become certified?
Phase 1 is a 6-week cohort. Phase 2 is customized to your needs (usually 3-12 months). Candidates may complete the capstone for one-on-one mentorship within three months or up to a year. You'll meet with Rance to talk through a schedule that works best for you.
How will this certification benefit me?
It's more than a line item on your resume. Yes, you can share the credentials on your LinkedIn account, but the best benefit is that you (and your training) will connect quickly with your audience. If you're looking for work, you'll have a unique story to tell L&D Managers who want next-level instructional designers. Instructional Story Designers have the distinct advantage of humanizing the learning experience from the first interviews with stakeholders and SMEs to designing and delivering story-based training that increases learning transfer...and your learners will love you for it. 
Can I certify my whole team?
Yes, teams benefit greatly by going through certification together. Contact us at info@needastory.com to get started. 
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