THE SHARE YOUR STORY PROJECT
This volunteer project brings teens together with local seniors to listen, learn, record and preserve the stories of their lives. Our goals are to combat ageism, build community connections and promote personal growth for all participants.
Teens earn volunteer hours serving as an observation student, audio technician, secondary interviewer or lead interviewer. They learn communication skills, hear funny and fascinating life stories, and make connections.
It's a profound experience to have someone aptly listen and learn from your life experiences and reflect on your accomplishments and give advice. We all have stories, even if we don't think we do.
Seniors can sign up for an hour long interview session at the reception desk in the Issaquah Senior Center. We meet at the center every 2nd Wednesday evening of each month.
Teens earn volunteer hours serving as an observation student, audio technician, secondary interviewer or lead interviewer. They learn communication skills, hear funny and fascinating life stories, and make connections.
It's a profound experience to have someone aptly listen and learn from your life experiences and reflect on your accomplishments and give advice. We all have stories, even if we don't think we do.
Seniors can sign up for an hour long interview session at the reception desk in the Issaquah Senior Center. We meet at the center every 2nd Wednesday evening of each month.
Listen inIntroduction to Klaus, inspired to fly
Liverpool, the war and the travel bug
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Participant talking about benefits of the project during her 2nd interview
What to expect
1. Welcome
You are greeted by your volunteer interview team and get settled into a private room. Your team will introduce themselves, where they go to school and what grade they are in. We'll discuss the general process of the interview and how we record the conversation.
2. Papers
We ask you to sign consent papers to record, and/or take pictures. Steps 1 and 2 take about 15 minutes.
3. Interview
This is where the fun begins. The audio technician will signal to start and set a timer for 45 +/- minutes. The interview can use a list of guided questions about different time periods in your life, but they may go "off-script". Enjoy the process and feel free to skip any questions or add things to talk about.
4. Photo
If you choose, we take a photo of you with your interview team.
5. Move to Common Area
After we finish the recording, your team will escort you to the common area outside the recording room to ask you a few brief post-assessment questions about your experience. Please give us any tips or comment on the experience. It's also a time to get to ask your interview team any questions you have. During this time, your adult facilitator (that's me!) will burn the audio onto a CD you can take with you. We then set up for the next interviewer.
6. Recommend The Share Your Story Project to a friend!
Sign up at the front desk of the senior center.
**Accepting volunteer high schools on a rotating basis throughout the year**
You are greeted by your volunteer interview team and get settled into a private room. Your team will introduce themselves, where they go to school and what grade they are in. We'll discuss the general process of the interview and how we record the conversation.
2. Papers
We ask you to sign consent papers to record, and/or take pictures. Steps 1 and 2 take about 15 minutes.
3. Interview
This is where the fun begins. The audio technician will signal to start and set a timer for 45 +/- minutes. The interview can use a list of guided questions about different time periods in your life, but they may go "off-script". Enjoy the process and feel free to skip any questions or add things to talk about.
4. Photo
If you choose, we take a photo of you with your interview team.
5. Move to Common Area
After we finish the recording, your team will escort you to the common area outside the recording room to ask you a few brief post-assessment questions about your experience. Please give us any tips or comment on the experience. It's also a time to get to ask your interview team any questions you have. During this time, your adult facilitator (that's me!) will burn the audio onto a CD you can take with you. We then set up for the next interviewer.
6. Recommend The Share Your Story Project to a friend!
Sign up at the front desk of the senior center.
**Accepting volunteer high schools on a rotating basis throughout the year**
