Upcoming Events
Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia
Blacksburg Books, 401 S. Main St., Blacksburg, VA
Join us for a book launch celebration and conversation about Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia. This new oral history collection brings together narratives from refugees, migrants, and generations-long residents that explore complex journeys of resettlement. Taken together, the stories present a nuanced look at life in contemporary Appalachia, expand our ideas of who belongs, and add to the growing body of works that counter damaging myths of the region.
Perspective Receiving versus Taking: The Science of Empathy
Virtual
Join Greater Good in Education and Voice of Witness for a workshop where you can learn strategies to receive, honor, hold, and respect others’ perspectives. This event is part of the How to Improve Relationships in Schools: Bridging Differences through Curiosity, Empathy, Humility, and Forgiveness community meeting series for educators.
Oral History Association Conference
Cincinnati, Ohio
The OHA conference runs from October 30 through November 2, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It brings together a broad range of people and practitioners and features a diverse breadth of oral history work and skill-building. Voice of Witness is leading two sessions:
Radical Collaboration: Expanding Narrator Agency and Community Impact
(Re)building Community and Honoring Complexity: Oral Histories of Movement and Migration
Washington Association for the Education of Speakers of Other Languages (WAESOL) Conference
Renton, WA
VOW’s Education Specialist Jessica Fagen is presenting the keynote speech, “Say it Forward: Amplifying Unheard Voices with Oral History,” at the 2024 WAESOL Conference. The presentation will highlight the benefits of oral history as a pedagogical tool for teaching and learning English. Educators will receive guidance on how to use oral history for culturally responsive learning opportunities, relationship building, and social-emotional learning.
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Convention
Boston, MA
HS Matters: The Benefits of Oral History Storytelling to Foster Belonging, Community, and Student Agency in and Outside of the Classroom
VOW’s Jessica Fagen will present alongside Chris Wendelin and Lisa Thyer, teachers at Stagg High School. After leading a Voice of Witness oral history project-based class for 7 years, they surveyed and interviewed class alumni and found that oral history storytelling has profound impacts on student writing, empathy, community engagement, and social action far beyond the classroom. This session will share guidance on how teachers can harness the power of oral history storytelling in their classrooms.
Location: Room 252 B, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
