There’s a special initiative afoot aimed at bringing together elder story tellers and young people in the community. The project is part of Legacy Writing Partners, spearheaded by author, editor and publisher Christine Cowley who recently moved to the area.
Cowley shared the details of the project with Huntsville councillors at their October 24 meeting, hoping that they too would spread the word.
She said the project aims to preserve the memories and stories of elderly residents in the community by matching them with students who will work with them one-on-one and produce short biographical sketches. Students will be coached on interview techniques and the various steps in the publishing process. They will also learn to edit and produce a video component with the culmination of their work being presented at a public forum sometime in May 2017.
We can honour our elders by listening to and sharing their stories as a community because that is our most valuable resource. Christine Cowley, Legacy Writing Partners
She said the generations born in the late 1920s, 30s and 40s probably witnessed more rapid and significant changes than any other generation. “It’s incredible what they carry in terms of human history,” she noted.
Cowley said the experience will be a rewarding one for students as well as they will not only learn new skills that they can put on their resume, but they will also learn life lessons from the elders that they may be able to apply to their own lives.”The idea is to have a really enjoyable, fun event. The elders are feeling honoured. Their families come out. We have nice tea and the students are also made to feel that their work is really appreciated and enjoyed by the community.”
Councillor Nancy Alcock welcomed the project. She recalled participating in something similar during her high school days and referred to it as one of the most important learning experiences at that time. She asked what type of support Cowley was looking for.
Christine Cowley is spearheading Legacy Writing Partners, a project aimed at preserving the memories of the elders in our community with the help of youth.
Cowley said she has submitted a grant application for the project and will be looking for business sponsors. She also said she would appreciate council support for the initiative and that she was there to introduce herself to councillors and make them aware of the project.
Councillor Brian Thompson, who sits on the library board, said the library has been doing similar research and they are very interested in working with Cowley. “They really want to be a partner in the project and help you out any way they can,” said Thompson. “Great project, love it… there’s so much that we can learn from talking to our elders.”
Cowley told council she’s working on partnering with a high school and possibly a nursing or retirement home in the community to identify some of the individuals who could be approached to see if they’d be willing to participate in the project.
For more on this initiative check out their Facebook page here.
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Kudos to Ms. Cowley and welcome to our community. It is extremely heartwarming to see any project in which elders are paired with youth; to their equal benefit. Introducing herself and her plans to Council, at the initial stages, was a very professional move.
It is to be hoped that the video will be placed in the Town’s time capsule.
This is wonderful news, getting the youth involved in our history. If you need any automotive history help, I know someone that has spent a few hours in that field.