From Whoville to the Nano Lab: Inspiring Students through Storytelling

Storytelling has been a powerful way to pass down traditions, customs, and knowledge for thousands of years, long before the written word. We know this—it is how we convey complex ideas and make sense of the world around us.

So why don’t we use stories more often to teach in today’s classrooms? Sure, we assign books about historical events or case studies, but storytelling as a tool to explain complex concepts needs to be part of academia.

In 2018, while working on my BS in Project Management, I had a professor who loved using stories to explain challenging concepts. One book they assigned was Our Iceberg is Melting, a story about a colony of penguins facing a melting iceberg. To save their community, the penguin leaders had to gather data, develop a plan, and convince the colony to act.

For me, it was more than just a story—it was an introduction to project management principles in a way that was easy to grasp and hard to forget. It showed how a simple story can transform complex ideas into something relatable and actionable. That’s what storytelling does: it engages imagination, sparks curiosity, and makes even the most intricate subjects approachable. 

Storytelling doesn’t just help with leadership principles—it’s a way to engage the imagination and spark curiosity in even the most technical fields. Take nanotechnology, for example. Many have heard of Richard Feynman’s famous 1959 lecture, There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom, where he envisioned manipulating materials at an atomic scale. He famously remarked, “The principles of physics do not preclude us from writing the entire Encyclopedia Britannica on the head of a pin.” It’s a powerful idea rooted in imagination—just like the story of Horton Hears a Who.

Early in my journey to earn an AAS in Nanoscience Technology, our class was assigned an article by futurist Thomas Frey called Dr. Seuss, the “grandfather of nanotechnology.” At first, it sounded like a stretch. But then I re-read Horton Hears a Who—a story about a tiny, unseen world that only Horton could hear. Those tiny voices, when united, made an impact so big it couldn’t be ignored. It hit me: this wasn’t just a whimsical children’s book. It was a metaphor for the power of small things—whether voices or nanostructures—and their ability to change the world when amplified.

Dr. Seuss introduces us to Horton, an elephant who discovers the tiny world of Whoville living on a speck of dust. Even though others doubted him, Horton stood by the Whos, insisting, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” In the end, he proved just how powerful tiny voices can be when they come together. This classic story shows how even the smallest things can make a big difference. This lesson ties perfectly to the world of nanotechnology and community colleges’ vital role in amplifying voices and driving change.

In nanotechnology, we often discuss how manipulating the smallest particles can lead to revolutionary medical, electronics, and materials science breakthroughs. Like Horton championed the Whos, educators and institutions like community colleges amplify the “tiny voices” of students who might otherwise go unheard.

Community colleges are where meaningful progress in workforce development begins. Through the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects, centers, and consortiums, these institutions empower students with skills and opportunities in high-demand fields like nanotechnology, microelectronics, and advanced manufacturing. These programs provide more than just education—they create career pathways and foster collaborations among faculty, industry, and students that drive real change in local communities and beyond. Center Director Jared Ashcroft often says in various ways, “When we come together, the impact ripples across the workforce, opening doors for innovation and growth.” Ultimately, this is what we are striving to do with MNT-EC.

And just like the Whos united their voices to be heard, our collective efforts in education and workforce development amplify the impact of these programs. Through storytelling in the classroom or public outreach, we can inspire curiosity and foster the creativity that drives scientific discovery.

The next time you pick up a story—about penguins, Whos, or nanoscale marvels—think about how it might ignite someone’s imagination. After all, every voice matters, and every story can transform a tiny idea into a monumental change. That’s why MNT-EC is here.

Notes: Reference Links:

• John Kotter book: Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
• Dr. Seuss book: Horton Hears a Who
• Thomas Frey article: Dr. Seuss, the Grandfather of Nanotechnology – Futurist Speaker 
• Feynman 1959 lecture: There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom (PDF and HTML version coming soon)
• Springfield Museums: Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden
• Think Small Featured Image: Flower Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash