The Great Thanksgiving Listen (or TGTL) is a technology-based initiative that encourages people of all ages to help create an oral history of our times by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire. With permission, your interview becomes part of the StoryCorps Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as well as StoryCorps’ Online Archive. Once recorded and uploaded to our Online Archive, Great Thanksgiving Listen interviews can be easily shared with friends, family, and teachers.
The Great Thanksgiving Listen is a common part of the curriculum for high school students studying American history, social studies, English, language arts, journalism, drama, ESL, and media and technology. It has been applied successfully as an extracurricular and community-building opportunity in classrooms, OST (out-of-school) environments, community centers, living rooms, and kitchens across the country.
You can record your conversation using either the StoryCorps App or our web-based tool, StoryCorps Connect, both of which are free to use. You can learn more about the different recording options available for individuals interested in participating in the Great Thanksgiving Listen here.