In September, StoryCorps, the national non-profit oral history project, launched a National Teachers Initiative. The initiative celebrates the amazing work teachers do every day and the lives they shape by recording, sharing and preserving their stories.
After a patient told neurosurgeon Lee Buono to thank the teacher who inspired him, he called up Al Siedlecki. photo credit: StoryCorps
"Every day teachers all across the country are igniting curiosity, inspiring passions and opening doors for our children," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Through the National Teachers Initiative, StoryCorps is doing what more of us need to – shining a spotlight on what ought to be the country’s most respected and important profession.”
Other special initiatives have included the September 11th Initiative and the Griot Initiative, a collection of African American stories and voices. The National Teachers Initiative is StoryCorps’ first-ever occupation-specific initiative. Read more on the StoryCorps National Teachers Initiative from ABC News.
How it works
Interview pairs for the National Teachers Initiative may consist of two teachers interviewing one another, friends discussing the impact an important teacher had on their lives, a student or former student interviewing a memorable teacher, or other relevant pairings. As with all StoryCorps interviews, participants will receive a CD copy of the interview and a second copy will be archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations. Select National Teachers Initiative interviews will be edited for national broadcast on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday throughout the 2011–2012 school year. Read the full StoryCorps National Teacher Initiative press release.
Have a story you want to tell?
Check out where the StoryBooth will be next or find our how to bring StoryCorps to your community. There are also several national and local partnerships for the National Teachers Initiative.
Want to listen?
Hear stories from the National Teachers Initiative and find other StoryCorps stories.
National Teachers Initiative Tour Schedule: 2011-2012
The National Teachers Initiative is scheduled to record stories in the following cities, with more cities to be added throughout the school year:
- Zanesville, OH
- Orlando, FL
- New York City
- Portland, OR
- Fort Riley, KS
- Albuquerque, NM
- Mobile, AL
- Baltimore, MD
- McComb, MS
- New Orleans, LA
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