Somerville Teens Wanted for National Oral History Project

Somerville teens are invited to tell stories about their daily lives, their aspirations and what it's like to grow up in or immigrate to Somerville—stories that will be preserved by the Library of Congress and that could eventually be heard by millions on National Public Radio.

According to an announcement from the city of Somerville, StoryCorps, a national oral history project, and the American Library Association have given the Somerville Public Library a $2,500 grant along with professional training, professional recording equipment and a StoryCorps oral history kit in an effort to record teens' voices.

Somerville is one of 10 communities across the country to be chosen for the "StoryCorps @ Your Library" pilot program, but it's the only community that will be focusing on teens, the announcement says. 

With permission from teens and their parents, some of the stories will be shared locally and online, and some could be chosen for segments on NPR.

In the future, the Somerville Public Library hopes to collect oral histories from other Somerville residents, too.

Interested teens should contact (617) 623-5000 ext. 2936 or Somerville@minlib.net, or they could stop by the Teen Space at the library, 79 Highland Ave.

Here's some more information.