While traveling as part of the Hokule‘a crew on its worldwide voyage, Daniel Lin logged many miles and hours listening to fascinating stories from throughout the Pacific.

Lin, 28, who has taken photos and written for National Geographic and the Associated Press, participated on four different legs of the Hokule‘a’s journey around the globe, including the sail to South Africa in 2015. As he conveyed the stories of those he encountered along the way, he was inspired to launch an online, multimedia platform to collect and share their tales.

Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation to Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, a Honolulu nonprofit where Lin works as a senior specialist, the Pacific Storytellers Cooperative was born.

“Ultimately and fundamentally, the people who deserve to tell the story are the people who live that story themselves,” he said. “That is the core of what this cooperative is.”

The new website, storytellers.prel.org, launched with a focus on stories from Micronesia and currently features a reflection on the recent Festival of the Pacific Arts on Guam by acclaimed Marshall Islands poet and activist Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner. Eventually, other parts of the Pacific, including Hawaii and Alaska, will be spotlighted.

Lin said the Pacific Storytellers Cooperative also plans to nurture the next generation of storytellers through workshops.

The tradition of oral storytelling is strong in many Pacific cultures, but the question, he said, is how to craft meaningful stories for the modern age and address contemporary issues such as climate change and the transformation of land and food resources.

“Every island has its own unique stories,” he said.

While the initiative focuses on digital media, it might also include other media going forward, according to Lin. Some projects will encourage students to write and document images for their local newspapers or books.

The goal is to encourage the younger generations “to take up the mantle of telling stories” through technology, he said. Surprisingly, high school and college students in some of the most remote parts of the Pacific have access to digital technology, which gives them an opportunity to connect with others around the world.

And, yes, social media will be part of the initiative.

“Social media has that wildfire effect, so I completely respect that,” Lin said.

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning promotes partnerships in education in American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, Guam, Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.

The Storytellers Cooperative accepts submissions in all forms, including written stories, photos, videos and poetry. An editorial advisory group made up of volunteers from across the region will select the submissions and edit them for length and clarity.

“As long as someone is willing to tell a story, we’re willing to help them be heard,” Lin said.