The Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation has partnered with the Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center to help teens learn the process of interviewing members of the community and documenting their stories. Teens Listen: An Oral History Project is a project that engages students in our community in an experience that will develop skills of interviewing and listening by recording the significant views adults have about living in this community.

We have enlisted teacher mentors in each high school to help us recruit, train, and schedule our young student interviewers. We’ll take students through the process of learning how to interview, how to document those interviews and how to reflect on what they learn in the process.

Students will produce a video of their recorded interview, which will be built into a local documentary film that shares the stories we collect, as well as written reflections, which will be published together in a physical book.

In addition to continue to interview Gifford Pioneers and women in the C-suite, we plan to add veterans, “river folk,” and others to our growing list of storytellers.

To be eligible, students must:

  • Be in 9-12th grade
  • Reside in or attend school in Indian River County

Would you like to be a part of Teens Listen?

Adult Writing Workshop with Cathy Smith Bowers! – SOLD OUT

Adult Writing Workshop with Cathy Smith Bowers! – SOLD OUT

Our first workshop of the season is here and now open to the public! The Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation is proud to present an Adult Writing Workshop with Cathy Smith Bowers! The workshop will be in person and take place…

Collaboration with the Center for Spiritual Care!

Collaboration with the Center for Spiritual Care!

The Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation is happy to announce our collaboration with the Center for Spiritual Care! On November 11th at 7 p.m., former North Carolina Poet Laureate Cathy Smith Bowers and current Indian River County Poet Laureate Sean Sexton…

First Writing Workshop of the Season!

First Writing Workshop of the Season!

The Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation is proud to announce our first writing workshop of the season! On November 13, from 9:30-12:30, Cathy Smith Bowers will be hosting an in-person workshop at the pole barn. Tickets are currently being sold to…

Student Testimonials

Student Testimonials

“I learned what admissions advisors look for in college essays and how to organize your essay to catch their attention in a good way. This [College Essay] workshop has definitely improved my writing skills when it comes to college essays…

View the Laura (Riding) Jackson House!

View the Laura (Riding) Jackson House!

Back in February of 2021, the Community Church of Vero Beach did a livestream tour of the house on Facebook! Board member, Susan Boyd, gave a phenomenal tour of the house where she explained what it would have been like…