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For the past 12 years, Americans have been recording their life stories as part of a national oral history project called StoryCorps. With almost 50,000 interviews collected, selected interviews are broadcasted on public radio, television, books and new media - resulting in the largest collection of American voices ever gathered.
The innovative project has recently developed an educational edge - StoryCorpsU - which is an interactive year-long youth development program for at risk students. Appearing in over 42 classrooms in four cities across the US, the curriculum guides students through listening to StoryCorps stories and animations that are aimed to fuel discussions and critical analysis of their own lives.
Led by a trained StoryCorpsU teacher, students learn the ins and outs of interviewing and record four stories that focus on the three core elements of the curriculum – where we’re from, who we are and where we’re going. The program has proven to be successful and a third-party evaluation revealed an improvement in the students speaking and listening skills, self awareness, social awareness and motivation to succeed.
The intimacy of StoryCorpsU creates a safe and welcoming environment in the classroom, providing a unique opportunity for students and teachers to open up and share their stories.
Watch StoryCorpsU in action:
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