For those who plan to be home on Thanksgiving, spending time with family is already part of the plan — but one group has created an app that'll liven things up this holiday weekend.
Nonprofit organization StoryCorps started "The Great Thanksgiving Listen" project — working with teachers and high school students across the country, the group wants to preserve stories across generations through a national assignment. The "Listen" encourages smartphone users to interview their loved ones and add their stories to a growing archive at the Library of Congress.
“In this time of great disconnect and division, we hope the Great Thanksgiving Listen will prove a unifying moment for the nation,” Dave Isay, StoryCorps’ Founder and President said in a statement. “We are excited to use the new StoryCorps app to bring the country together in a project of listening, connection, and generosity."
"Together we will collect the wisdom of a generation and archive it for the future, while at the same time reminding our grandparents how much their lives and stories matter,” Isay added.
The steps are simple: after you've picked someone to interview, draft your questions and find a quiet place to record the interview, and upload the final product. The StoryCorps website has a growing online archive of all the interviews uploading in real time.
The app is open to both Apple and Android users, and according to Mashable, and includes suggestion questions, both introductory and in-depth, like "Do you know the story of why and how our ancestors came to this country?" and "Can you tell me about one of the most difficult moments in your life?"
It's the best of both worlds, really — if you have a hard time putting your phone down, you can use it to engage with those you love in a meaningful way.
Get more information about StoryCorps' new app, check out one of their interviews below, and SHARE this story with family so they can be a part of this historical project, too.
Learn more about "The Great Listen" here:
Check out one of StoryCorps' touching interview-turned-animations:
