Local history projects allow undergraduate students to engage with their surrounding community and forge relationships between universities and museums. By assigning work that requires input from both students and the museums, these projects help create collaborative partnerships as students leave campus to conduct research, participate in and…

A typical U.S. high school student today might be able to recite some milestones of civil rights history--the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56; the Freedom Rides of 1961; and (some would add) the election of the first African American president in 2008. But how many students understand that these events, which historians call out as milestones,…

This article, by Lynda Abbott and Richard Grayson, offers a fascinating example of collaboration between school and university, focused on the development of a community archive. The project--run as an extra-curricular activity--was originally inspired by a concern to preserve the personal stories of those whose lives were affected by the Second…

Shortly after the author began teaching at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), Frances Hawthorne, one of the studio faculty, approached her to work on a community-based art project with students. Frances is a social justice artist who works collaboratively with marginalized groups such as the homeless and inmates at the…

Armed with digital cameras, voice recorders, and movie cameras, students from Thomas Dale High School in Chester, Virginia, have been exploring neighborhoods, interviewing residents, and collecting memories of their hometown. In this article, the author describes "Digital History of Chester", a project for creating a commemorative DVD.…

Describes a family and community oral history project suitable for use in adult basic education classes. Discusses developing interview questions, gathering family history, writing and editing the text, and illustrating the final product with photographs. (RS)

Gives suggestions for developing a media-oriented local history project and for preparing students to conduct preliminary research and interviews. (KS)

This oral history project was completed by a Munice, Indiana high school honors U.S. history class. The students interviewed Munice residents, who during World War II either served in the military or experienced the War from the homefront. Two interview instruments were designed, one for the military front and the other for the home front. The…

This document presents an oral history project in which 34 residents of Munice, Indiana were interviewed about their experiences and memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. The project was conducted by the members of an Honors United States History class at Munice Southside High School. The students designed the…

Describes an eighth grade class history project in which students researched, wrote, and published a history of their town based on interviews with residents. The project increased personal interest in history and improved the school's relationship with the community. Suggestions for project organization and interviewing techniques are included.…

Describes an oral history project in which ninth graders interviewed residents of an Atlanta neighborhood facing disruption by urban development and prepared transcriptions and scrapbooks for presentation to the local historical society. (SV)

History instructors working in a community college face two major challenges. First, to make history interesting and relevant to the students, many of whom have to take history courses as a requirement. And second, to fulfill one of the missions of a community college which is to forge a connection between the school and the people in the local…

This publication compiles oral histories preserved by rural students around the country and provides teachers with information and resources for developing oral history projects. The first five sections were written by the students and teachers of (1) Anderson Valley Junior/Senior High School, Boonville, California; (2) Edcouch-Elsa High School,…

Describes a project in which high school students wrote up interviews with local residents and articles on local history for English and history classes, then collaborated on their publication in a community newspaper. (SV)

Describes a project in which fifth graders researched the history of their school, interviewed people associated with the school's history, and created a booklet of school memoirs. Discusses problems overcome in each phase of the project, and offers practical suggestions on class management and project supervision. (SV)