History is about stories, and the best stories are about people.
The people of West Windsor and Plainsboro all have their own unique stories to tell, whether it be the experience of an immigrant coming to America seeking new opportunities and settling in Plainsboro or the remembrances of a fourth generation West Windsor farmer who witnessed the evolution of the town from agrarian plains to a developing commercial town. In order to insure that those stories don’t fade with the past, the National History Day clubs at High School North and South, as well as Community and Grover Middle Schools, have come together in launching the West Windsor-Plainsboro Oral History Project.
Beginning over the summer, National History Day Students from the four schools have been identifying residents who have unique and historically relevant stories to share. The students will interview interested individuals and their stories will be recorded and gathered into an Oral History Archive. Yinan Zheng at High School South and Sundar Solai, Alisha Kanitkar, and Liam Knox at High School North are leading the initiative, with support from district social studies supervisor Carl Cooper. The oral histories will be made available online in the form of transcripts and audio files.
National History Day is a yearlong research competition that engages students in grades 6 to 12 in the discovery of the historical, cultural, and social experiences of the past to better inform the present and shape the future.
The purpose of the Oral History Project is to preserve for posterity the important and fascinating personal histories of local residents. By researching, capturing and archiving the stories of townspeople, the Oral History Project hopes to preserve a memory of local residents while enabling students to learn more about the role of the individual in shaping local history. Interested residents are invited to be a part of this exciting and important community effort!
If you are interested in sharing your story or would like more information about the Oral History Project, contact a student representative at oralhistory.cnj@gmail.com, or call 972-843-1477.
