As part of Story Corp’s initiative to use technology to bridge the gap between generations rather than widen it, this Thanksgiving holiday they launched the Great Thanksgiving Listen movement to encourage students to interview family or friends from another generation over the Thanksgiving holiday. Students at Homestead in Introduction to Publications participated in the event as part of an assignment to expand their questioning, interviewing and communication skills.

Former Homestead student Haley Shaffer now works at StoryCorps, a national non-profit that works to record stories across the country in partnership with the Library of Congress to archive the recorded stories as well as NPR to play edited clips of our stories on Morning Edition every Friday.

Shaffer contacted a few teachers at Homestead to encourage them to try the assignment with their students in history, special education or journalism. Mrs. Rachel Rauch, journalism adviser, thought the assignment was a perfect way to have her beginning journalism students practice the skills they’ve been taught in their introductory class. “I read some really touching stories about how people used the app to record their loved ones, and after their loved ones passed, they had their voices and stories with them forever,” Mrs. Rauch said, “so that and the interview practice convinced me to try it.” Below is a sampling of stories students recorded.

Click on the links to listen to their interviews conducted using the Story Corps app.

Erin Carley: https://storycorps.me/interviews/aunt-claire/

Gleb Murashka: https://storycorps.me/interviews/thanksgiving-tradition-and-holiday/

Mackenzie Kurtin: https://storycorps.me/interviews/mom-165/

Katelyn Meer: https://storycorps.me/interviews/thanksgiving-232/

Megan Dauchy: https://storycorps.me/interviews/megan-dauchy-with-michelle-dauchymom-interview-2/

Sage Austin:https://storycorps.me/interviews/judi-mom-5/

Gretchen Jones: https://storycorps.me/interviews/the-great-thanksgiving-listen-594/

Molly Plamann: https://storycorps.me/interviews/grammy-interview-4/

Liz Hacker: https://storycorps.me/interviews/nona-3/