Story Corps

Great resource

StoryCorps was established in 2003 and has a mission to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. Their website has several great tips and resources on how to get started in telling your story in the best possible way. I like knowing that StoryCorps was modeled after the efforts of the WPA – Works Progress Administration of the 1930s. I know artists benefited from the work of the WPA during the Depression and the impact still carries over today.

In March 2020 StoryCorps Connect was established in response to COVID-19 pandemic. It enables people who are interested to record an interview with someone using video conference technology. The audio and a still photo from each interview goes into the archive at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. Your interview becomes part of American history, and hundreds of years from now, future generations will listen in. “We think of StoryCorps as an ever-growing archive of the wisdom of humanity.” You can make a recording at THIS LINK. StoryCorps is an independently funded nonprofit organization.

In addition StoryCorps connect has created a Downloadable Toolkit for Teachers and Educators. The toolkit is filled with multimedia resources and lessons to support young people as they learn to interview, record, and listen to the stories of family members and loved ones. There are so many possibilities for ways to use this with your learners – no matter what age or subject you may teach.

The video below provides the 5 easy steps to record your story.