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?

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

This Week: Sean Sexton in the 37th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

This week, Indian River County Poet Laureate Sean Sexton will be featured in the virtual 37th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, “The Rodear Year.” On Saturday, January 29, catch Sean Sexton at 10 am and 5 pm. Please visit their website…

Alfred Corn

Alfred Corn

https://youtu.be/YnqbWzV4oBI Alfred Corn reads “The Cloak of Invisibility.”

IRC Poet Laureate Sean Sexton Has Upcoming Art Show

IRC Poet Laureate Sean Sexton Has Upcoming Art Show

In addition to being our local poet laureate and a current nominee for Florida Poet Laureate, Sean is a talented painter and ceramic artist. During the next Art Stroll on January 1, Sean’s work will be on display at Flametree…

Advent: Organ and Poetry Series

Advent: Organ and Poetry Series

This December, Andrew Galuska and guest poets will present concerts of organ music and the spoken word. Seating will be socially-distanced, and masks will be required to attend. Attend live at 11 am at the Community Church of Vero Beach,…

Enid Shomer headshot

Enid Shomer

https://youtu.be/VYZUkDzDieU Enid Shomer reads her poem “Rara Omnia” from her book Shoreless. You can purchase Shoreless here, and find out more about Enid here.