StoryCorps

 

 

What is StoryCorps?

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.  Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 50,000 interviews from participants across the country, representing the largest collection of American voices ever gathered.  StoryCorps reminds one another of our shared humanity, to strengthen and build the connections between people, to teach the value of listening, and to weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that everyone’s story matters.

 

StoryCorps creates an invaluable archive for future generations.  Each conversation is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to their weekly broadcasts on National Public Radio’s "Morning Edition" and on the Listen pages of their website.

 

 

How are we going to utilize StoryCorps?

Over the course of this school year, students will explore the interviews on this site and periodically respond to several they select.  Since our English class focuses on American literature, which is comprised of stories representative of our culture's past and its evolution, StoryCorps presents stories representative of our contemporary culture. 

 

 

Students will participate in StoryCorp's "The Great Thanksgiving Listen."  This ground-breaking oral history project will use near-universally accessible smartphone technology to capture an entire generation of American lives and experiences while fostering meaningful connections within families, communities, and the classroom. The 2015 pilot resulted in an archive containing the single largest collection of human voices ever gathered.

 

This project is about the sharing of wisdom, gratitude, and respect across generations. "The Great Thanksgiving Listen" offers participants a chance to discover the history in their own families and lives while honoring their elders through the act of listening.  These interviews will also be preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

 

A Video Introduction to StoryCorps