Instructional Story Design Certification

A certification worth getting excited about!
Write your awesome label here.

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

Write your awesome label here.
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. 

Write your awesome label here.
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!"
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. 

Jeff Caswell

"The School of Story Design has given me a language for vetting training requests. During discovery meetings I now ask, "What actions do you want the learner to take?" instead of "What do you want the learner to know." Identifying actions is key to the Instructional Story Design process and quickly separates true trainings from projects that are just awareness."
Jeff created a tight, entertaining, focused course on reporting fraud, waste and abuse. It's performance-driven, so it's not the typical compliance course that will put you to sleep! You'll stay on your toes and learn a lot in the process. 

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

Stacy Pendergrast

Take A Breath Before Saying Yes 
A documentary-style learning experience
"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!"
Stacy 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. 

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. 
Created with