Oral history is a valuable tool for education, community building, and advocacy. Sharing first-person stories from people—in their own words—illuminates issues and events in a powerful way.
Voice of Witness creates oral history resources to support individuals, organizations, and classrooms with ethical storytelling, community-based oral history projects, and human rights education. We have seen firsthand how they resonate with participants of all kinds, inspiring connection and belonging, empathy, and community engagement. All of our lesson plans are free and Common Core-aligned.
Learn more about the benefits of oral history and the impacts of oral history education.
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Displaced In Colombia
Displaced in Colombia is a multimedia project that brings together oral history and documentary photography to explore contemporary first-person stories of people impacted by the decades-long violence in Colombia.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
Voices From the Storm Script
The play Voices from the Storm, adapted from the VOW oral history book, weaves together the true stories of Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Guides and Toolkits • Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12 • Higher Ed
How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America Curriculum
The lessons use oral history to promote a nuanced understanding of Indigenous communities and settler colonialism.
Lesson Plans • Grades 9-12 • Higher Ed
