StoryCorps from NPR, collecting America's stories

Those of you who are avid listeners of National Public Radio (NPR), are most likely aware of NPR's StoryCorps Oral History Project, which began in 2003, and is still going strong! This post is for the everyone else....

From the StoryCorps website:

Since 2003, almost 30,000 everyday people have shared life stories with family and friends in our StoryBooths. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to our broadcasts on public radio and the web. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind.

Everybody’s story matters. Every life counts. Help us reach out to record our history, hopes, and common humanity—and illuminate the true character of this nation.

As an example, Martha Conant, one of only 13 unscathed survivors in the 1998 crash landing of a United Airlines flight in Sioux City, Iowa, reminds us of the importance of expressing gratitude and having no regrets as we meet each day:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18007783

With free and easy Web 2.0 tools such as GCast, which provides a toll-free "800" number for recording by phone, or Evoca, which provides a web-based voice recorder (see the Evoca "comments" link on the left side of this blog), this would be an easy project for any level social studies, English, or world languages classroom! Tips and sample questions to use for a story interview can be found on their Great Questions page with an extensive list at: http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/question-generator/list

If a classroom project is not in your immediate future, your story can be among the voices of America being recorded at the StoryCorps Mobile Recording Booths located in New York City and Nashville. There are also two trailers traveling across the country that might be worthy of incorporating into your summer vacation planning. See the 2008 schedule at: http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/locations

"By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation—reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how truly great it is to be alive.” -Dave Isay, Founder, StoryCorps