CONNECTING KIDS ACROSS CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITIES, AND TIME.

At Once Upon Our Time Capsule, we empower youth to explore their past, understand their present, and dream boldly about their future. We transform the traditional time capsule into a collective storytelling experience, empowering youth to reflect, connect, and share their voices.

How THE TIME CAPSULE works

  • Child with glasses smiling and raising left arm, wearing a navy blue shirt, sitting in a classroom setting.

    Each year, we launch a new Youth Time Capsule with a unique theme and an aligned project-based, supplemental curriculum.

  • Children participating in an arts and crafts activity around a table covered with a striped tablecloth. The table is filled with paper, markers, colored pencils, and craft materials. Children are focused on drawing and crafting.

    In schools, after-school programs, summer camps, and homeless shelters, youth use writing, art, and video to create and share artifacts for the digital Youth Time Capsule.

  • Two teachers standing in front of a classroom whiteboard, smiling and holding books and papers. A classroom setting with students raising hands, colorful posters, and educational materials displayed on the walls.

    When the Time Capsule is reopened, participants are reconnected with the stories they preserved and can reflect on how far they’ve come. 

Helping Kids Feel Seen, Heard, and ConnecteD

Today’s young people are facing record levels of loneliness and disconnection. Around the world, rates of adolescent loneliness have nearly doubled — and many students are struggling to feel connected, confident, and supported at school.

Once Upon Our Time Capsule uses storytelling and creative expression to help kids build confidence, strengthen relationships, and dream boldly about their future. Through art, theater, writing, and reflection, we create joyful spaces where young people feel valued, understood, and inspired.

Our Impact:

  • 82% of students said the Time Capsule program helped them learn more about who they are — building stronger self-esteem.

  • 83% enjoyed school more on days they participated — making school a place they want to be.

  • 81% said their classmates and teachers understood them better — strengthening the supportive relationships kids need to thrive.

OUR Partners

We partner with schools, after school programs, and government agencies to bring our programming to youth in a variety of settings. Reach out to us at hello@ourtimecapsule.org with ways you want to partner.

  • " I see some of the most shy students begin to open up and show bravery by participating and sharing their ideas with the whole class. Students have the opportunity to show off their true authentic selves, helping them build their confidence. The attendance for the program is also one of the highest for after school, which highlights how engaging the program is for our students. I am grateful for the commitment Once Upon Our Time Capsule offers in partnering with us to provide support to the well being of our students.”

    Mary Hayes, Chicago Public School teacher

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