Walking With Our Elders
Intergenerational Storytelling
“A community that loses its stories loses its memory.”
—Author Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Walking with our Elders is an intergenerational program that utilizes the fascinating tradition of oral history to promote literacy and engage youth in a dialogue with elders in their community. The program enables young people to receive training and practice in the roles of journalist, historian, author, visual artist, and public poet. Young people conduct face-to-face interviews with elders who share first-hand stories that bear witness to the vast panorama of 20th and 21st century American and world history. Academic, artistic and interpersonal skills are strengthened as a personal connection to history is forged. The program culminates with a dramatic performance that celebrates the young people’s work and honors the community’s unique and significant stories.
High school seniors in Washington DC composed these two narrative poems, “Atonement” and “Locked Up,” during an intergenerational oral history program directed by Candace Wolf. The poetry is based upon oral history interviews the students conducted with community seniors and was shared by the students at a dramatic public reading.
TESTIMONIALS
“Thank you for this experience. I have so many important memories. But no one has ever asked me to talk about them. This wonderful project reminds us that all of our stories matter and must be passed along to the next generation… It was truly a healing experience. I felt like I was celebrating my life. It made me feel young again!”
— Elder Participant
“Our society is sadly segregated by age and this program offered a wonderful opportunity to all participants—students, teachers and elders—to bridge these separations and to hear history straight from the heart!”
— Parent
“The elder storytellers shared stories of tremendous depth and historical importance. This is the kind of learning that will have a lifelong impact on my students.”
— Teacher
“This is an incredibly inspirational project. We will never see that long-ago world again. But the elders help us see that world through their eyes and their memories. I was very caught up in each interviewee’s life story, how they overcame hardship, persevered through overwhelming circumstances to reach their goals, and are still setting new goals and challenges for themselves. I hope this type of program will be continued far into the future.”
— Community member
“Candace Wolf’s solid instructional methodology is highly valued by the Kennedy Center…She has great rapport with our community elders and with students, as well as respect and enthusiasm for the teachers she works with.”
— Jeanette McCune, Project Manager of Community Partnerships Program, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts