In this program, adult home residents listen to short audio clips on topics with importance in the world today, such as women’s rights, nature, and the idea of home. After playing the clips, facilitators talk with participants about the stories. The program uses the CGP Community Stories collection of oral histories. The goal is to have interesting, thoughtful conversations around topics related to both the past and the present.
Listen to Everyone includes all the materials you need to use this program on your own, including audio material, transcripts, slides, images, and how to guides. This page also contains supplementary material, including introductory letters and sample photograph permission forms.
Click here for our How-To Guide with information on how to run a program.
Choose from the Dialogue Program topics below for more information and resources.
Being a Citizen
The stories in this theme focus on what it means to be a citizen of the United States. Some stories are political and some are personal, but they all provide insight on how individual’s lives contribute to a democracy.
How We Learn
The stories in this theme focus on the many ways that people learn and grow. From formal teaching in classrooms and colleges to lessons picked up from parents and employers, these stories discuss the lifelong process of receiving an education.
Plants, Animals, and the Land
The stories in this theme focus on nature and its importance to individuals. Some topics include making a living off the land through farming, environmental concerns, and outdoor places that are special to people.
Women’s Rights
The stories in this theme focus on women’s struggles and triumphs, past and present. Some share personal experiences, while others talk about the women who were important in their lives. From the home to the workplace, these stories provide the opportunity to reflect on the many changes that have occurred in the past century, as well as what remains the same.
Guide to Using Your Own Oral History Material
Facilitator Evaluation Form
Supplementary Materials
- Introductory letter to adult homes
- Introductory letter to participants’ families
- Photograph permission form for adult home residents’ family members
- Photograph permission form for adult home residents
In New York State, an Adult Home is defined in law as an Adult Care Facility. Adult Homes are licensed and regulated by the New York State Department of Health and offer long-term, supportive residential care for five or more elderly people and non- elderly adults with disabilities. See https://aging.ny.gov/LivableNY/ResourceManual/Housing/III1r.pdf for more information.
The Cooperstown Graduate Program received a $1,500 Vision Grant from Humanities NY for this project, entitled “Memory Dialogues: Using Oral Histories to Initiate Conversations with Residents of Adult Homes.” Cooperstown Graduate Program students Kate Webber and Emily Pfeil developed this program through an internship at Woodside Hall, a NYS Certified Adult Home.
