Using Oral Histories in the Classroom

Using Oral Histories in the Classroom

• Becky Boncoddo, Central Connecticut State University
• Lyle Cairdeas, Abbie Cowan, and Cinthia Zuniga, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History

We aim to demonstrate to those interested in integrating museum collections into academic curricula the skills and steps required to implement similar projects and classroom assignments at other institutions. Our session will demonstrate the importance of integrating contemporary history, storytelling, and real-time learning across educational levels. Attendees, regardless of profession or prior knowledge of oral history, will leave with a deep understanding of why personal narratives and storytelling matter in educational content. We will showcase the Community History Project's current work on the TheirStory.io platform for oral history recording, transcription, and sharing.

This presentation was given at the Connecticut Digital Humanities Conference in at the Elihu Burritt Library in New Britain, CT on March 19, 2026.