StoryCorps: National Teacher Initiative

StoryCorps: The national oral history project

Storycorps, a national oral history project, is recording stories celebrating the work of hundreds of public school teachers across the nation during an 18 month project as part of the American Graduate Project. The project will reflect the diverse experiences of  educators and students from both rural and urban school districts with high dropout rates.

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About:  The National Teachers Initiative celebrates the brilliant and courageous work of public school teachers across the country. By recording, sharing, and preserving their stories, we hope to call public attention to the invaluable contributions teachers have made to this nation, celebrate and honor those who have embraced the profession as their calling, encourage teaching as a career choice, and unify the country behind its teachers—helping us all recognize that there is no more important or noble work than that of educating our nation's children.

The National Teachers Initiative is part of “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen,” a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities across America address the dropout crisis. Many of the conversations recorded as part of the National Teachers Initiative reflect the diverse experiences of educators and students from both rural and urban school districts with high dropout rates.

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; 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 with Audie Cornish throughout the 18 month project.