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?

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The World and I

This is not exactly what I mean Any more than the sun is the sun. But how to mean more closely If the sun shines …

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The Simple Line

The secrets of the mind convene splendidly, Though the mind is meek. To be aware inwardly of brain and beauty Is dark too recognizable. Thought …

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With the Face

With the face goes a mirror As with the mind a world. Likeness tells the doubting eye That strangeness is not strange. At an early …

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Yes and No

Across a continent imaginary Because it cannot be discovered now Upon this fully apprehended planet— No more applicants considered, Alas, alas— Ran an animal unzoological, …

Song of the South: Cathy Smith Bowers and Sean Sexton flyer

Poetry Reading: Song of the South

On Thursday, October 29 at 7PM ET, poets Cathy Smith Bowers and Sean Sexton team up for a reading they are calling “Song of the South”. Register for free here!