People make sense of the world through stories. This is especially true for young people. Through stories they learn the difference between right and wrong, the value of resiliency and courage, and the need for cooperation and creativity when facing difficulties and solving problems. Joe McHugh is a skilled storyteller, writer, and award-wining radio producer who has worked for many years with troubled youth helping them find and tell the kind of stories that give their lives hope and meaning. For one project for the juvenile drug court in Omaha, Nebraska, he taught youth offenders how to professionally interview and record the “elders” of their community. These interviews, which included stories told by Holocaust survivors, union organizers, World War II aviators, jazz musicians, firefighters, and others, were then later broadcast by public radio stations. Another project for the California Youth Authority called Young Men as Fathers involved teams of incarcerated youth who interviewed community mentors and then wrote and performed short radio dramas exploring different aspects of male parenting.

Great Expectations is a multi-media presentation by Joe McHugh that weaves together personal commentary, photographs, and a selection of audio interviews that provides a variety of practical ideas for engaging troubled youth through their intellect, emotions, and imagination in the authentic stories of their communities and those stories that give voice to the highest aspirations of the human spirit.

“We have enjoyed many positive experiences working on projects with Joe McHugh. He is creative, professional, and above all a veteran presenter and facilitator. We encourage any organization to tap into his resources.”

Tad Kitada, Director, Prevention Services, Placer County Office of Education