Today in my ENG 99 class, I introduced an extra credit assignment for over the Thanksgiving weekend. The assignment is for students to download the StoryCorps app and record an interview this weekend with someone special in their lives. Then, they can join thousands of other people all across the country in uploading this interview to the StoryCorps Archive where it will be preserved forever at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

StoryCorps began in 2003 when founder Dave Isay opened a booth in Grand Central Station to capture interviews with everyday people. Since then, StoryCorps has recorded thousands of interviews all across the country.  StoryCorps’ mission, according to their website, is “to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve the stories of our lives. We do this to remind 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. At the same time, we are creating an invaluable archive for future generations.”

Now, having won the $1 million dollar TED prize, Dave Isay and the StoryCorps team has developed an app so that anyone can record an interview at home with nothing more than a smart phone.  StoryCorps’ goal with the Great Thanksgiving Listen is to get as many people to participate as possible.

As a teacher, I can’t think of a better activity for the holiday weekend. Students have to listen and connect with important people in their lives. They have the chance to really hear what others think, believe or have experienced. Most importantly, they learn that everyone has a story that deserves to be heard.

If you want more information, you can go to the Great Thanksgiving Listen page for teachers at https://storycorps.me/about/the-great-thanksgiving-listen/

Or, to watch Dave Isay’s TED talk, click on this link:  https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_isay_everyone_around_you_has_a_story_the_world_needs_to_hear?language=en