Our Story
About Common Language Digital Storytelling
What We Do
Common Language Digital Storytelling runs Storytelling Facilitator Training workshops around the world with health and wellness professionals and organizations.
Our Mission
… is to empower local health and wellness focused educators, non-profit organizations, and researchers to create compelling Digital Stories that both enhance storyteller resilience and advance their mission.
“Fact’s bring us to knowledge, but stories lead to wisdom.”
— Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom.
Mike Lang, PhD, Founder & Trainer
Mike’s career as a Digital Storytelling facilitator started with as cancer diagnosis at the age of 25. To help process his cancer experience he created his first film after finishing his treatments and in the past 11 years has directed and produced 5 feature length documentaries and two web-series, winning awards and recognitions along the way.
In early 2011, Mike recognized that the process of creating a film, that was so therapeutic for him, could be possible for anyone in our digital age… and his interest in the process of “Digital Storytelling” was born. Beginning by working with cancer survivors and caregivers, Mike has personally facilitated the creation of almost 900 Digital Stories around the world in the last 12 years. His projects are all health and wellness focused with many projects in public health, healthcare quality improvement, health professions education, health research, global health in addition to projects that are primarily for therapeutic benefit.
Mike has authored academic publications on Digital Storytelling and completed his PhD at the University of Calgary, looking specifically at developing a rigorous Digital Storytelling Methodology in healthcare settings.
Some of What We’ve Achieved
Published one of the few peer-reviewed Digital Storytelling Methodology papers in the academic literature (see main page to download your copy).
Trained 24 Level 1 Facilitators, many of which have begun full-time DST Facilitation work.
Worked with large healthcare organizations such as Alberta Health Services and the Canadian Cancer Society to create Digital Storytelling programs and train facilitators.
Trained 9 Level 1 Facilitators and 2 Level 2 Facilitators in partnership with Mbarara University of Science & Technology in Uganda and the University of Calgary Global Health Program.
Created a film series in partnership with the TELUS Fund that demonstrates the power of both the Digital Storytelling process and the Digital Stories that are produced.
Received a coveted Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Scholarship to pursue DST research.
Contact Us.
If you have any questions about the trainings or how you could incorporate Digital Storytelling into your work, please contact us. We are happy to work with you to develop a custom training program to fit you or your organizations needs.