The Town of Stratford is excited to announce our upcoming project, a book, which will feature the stories of 30 older adults and established residents of the town. The stories will be captured, researched, and written by 30 young residents from our community (grades 5-12).
The goal is for this book to live on as a legacy piece for our community and bring residents of different ages together to learn from one another, share personal stories, and lessen the intergenerational divide. These stories and lived experiences will also become a part of our collective heritage and for the generations that follow.
The Town of Stratford plans to launch the book and make it available to the broader community on April 1, 2025, to celebrate our 30th anniversary.
CALLOUT TO RESIDENTS!
Please nominate individuals who you think may have an interesting story to tell. Please fill out the nomination form below, along with contact information for the person you are nominating so we can reach them.
CALLOUT TO PARTICIPANTS!
Are you an older, established resident of our community or a young resident in grades 5-12 interested in leaving a mark on our community? You can self-nominate (or nominate your child) to participate in this project by filling out the nomination form below.
WHAT TO EXPECT
For all participants:
- When a nomination form is received, town staff will contact the nominee (or their guardian) to fill out an application form.
- Once your application form is reviewed and selected, town staff will arrange and coordinate an interview between participants at Stratford Town Centre or other central locations such as the Stratford Public Library.
- Interviews will be informal (more like having a conversation), with guidance provided including suggested questions to ask to keep the conversation moving along.
- A staff member will take a photo of both participants for publication (additional/relevant images may be sent to us if required).
- After publication, the Town of Stratford intends to store and make the audio files accessible to the public as historical accounts.
Additional info for younger participants:
- A recording device will be available to record the interview (youth will be provided with the link to download these audio files).
- Following the interview, the youth will have a period of time to complete the write-up (a maximum of 1000 words) with a submission deadline provided. Staff may follow up with them or their guardians to ensure timely submission.
- The write-up will need to be typed and submitted as a Word document (file extension docx.) by email.
- After the submission is received, a staff member will edit the write-up lightly (if needed) and send the document back to the youth/guardian for final approval (time permitting) as well as providing a copy to the interviewee.
How this project will benefit participants:
- Participants will learn from one another and explore generational differences and similarities.
- Engaging in dialogue may help break down generational barriers and stereotypes while promoting a positive image of ageism.
- Older adults will have the opportunity to pass on their collective community and life memories to future generations and have their contributions recognized.
- This exchange of thoughts and opinions may help broaden youth perspectives while allowing them to develop their listening and writing skills. This experience should also build youth confidence as they gain skills and contribute to a larger community project.
Participants will be selected based on their experiences and/or diversifying factors. Please ensure you provide as much information as possible and contact information for the person you nominate. If you would like to nominate more than one person, please note that you will be required to submit separate nomination forms. Also, note that you may self-nominate if you want to participate!