| Message from Educator and
Legacy Project Chair Susan V. Bosak
I was leading a workshop of new teachers about a month ago and started talking about how this is the twelfth annual Listen to a Life Contest.
For the contest, a young person 8-18 years interviews an older adult 50 years or over about their life experiences – their dreams and goals, obstacles they overcame, pivotal moments, how they found hope – and submits a 300-word essay.
The teachers in the workshop started buzzing about the writing possibilities the contest offers and various curriculum connections. Then one teacher asked a big question: "Does this contest really have much to do with the 21st Century learning skills young people need?"
Okay, I'm a little biased – having conceived and nurtured Listen to a Life over the years. My answer, with a big smile and reasons ready to roll off my tongue: YES!
Here are some of the reasons that the contest speaks to the 21st Century, introduced by quotes from young people themselves who have entered the Listen to a Life Contest:
"Last week, we visited the coolest place on earth: the Betz Nursing Home!" When is the last time you heard a nursing home described as "cool?" The 21st Century demands that we physically and figuratively go to new places and see them in new ways to creatively solve problems. And that nursing home itself seems to have been doing some creative things to move beyond the narrow stereotypes – welcoming in students is proof of that. A school making more connections in the community improves both itself and the community. Moreover, by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 years and older. For the first time in history, older people will outnumber those 5 years and under. As the world gets older, and we come into contact with more people more often, we need to learn how to get along with and understand people of different ages, genders, and cultures than our own.
"I see my grandma a lot, but not until this project have I really listened to her stories and realized who she is." As we come into contact with more people in the real world and online, we have to know how to really listen to them to understand who they are and what's important to them. Listening is a skill we often think just "happens." But in a world where young people spend more and more time with technologies, listening is a threatened skill. Truly listening is also an important part of empathy, which is a key to addressing issues of bullying and building a more civil society. The best gift you can give someone is to listen to them – echoed by the many appreciative and touched grandparents and grandfriends who have participated in the Listen to a Life Contest.
"At first, I didn't think I would enter because my grandma is so far away. But I decided to interview my grandma over several weeks, in pieces with questions I planned ahead of time, across the 2,000 miles and generations that separate us. I have lots of answers to lots of questions and know more about her now than ever." Creating meaningful connections with others is something both adults and youth crave in today's hectic, high-tech world. We make a lot of excuses for not putting in the time required. Taking the initiative and coming up with a plan to achieve a goal is also about a different kind of active learning that contrasts with past passive models.
"After much prodding from my dad, I finally interviewed my grampa. I was surprised how interesting he is! We worked as a team. He helped fix my grammar and correct facts, and I showed him how to use the computer to enter the essay." Many children, especially those who immerse themselves in computers and video games, are socially shy. But social skills are imperative to living and succeeding. Further, as problems become more complex and we all become more intertwined, being able to work collaboratively is essential for success. We need more opportunities for teams that bring together young and old in collaborative learning experiences. Research shows many young people get too much peer socialization and not enough opportunity to interact meaningfully with adults.
"After the interview, it was hard to fit my grandma's whole life into 300 words." The world of the 21st Century is filled with information – lots and lots of information. The challenge is learning how to sift through it all, distill it and find the essence. Creating an accurate story within a strict word limit also calls on problem solving skills to search out and choose the right words and put them in the right place for maximum effect. Moreover, the 21st Century often places equal weight on oral and written communication, and being effective in moving between the two. Asking questions and listening to someone talk is the first step; transcribing that information is a separate, equally important second step.
"I rewrote and rewrote and rewrote my essay to make it perfect." Yes, some studies show that today's young people are writing more by engaging with various technologies. However, much of the writing is impulsive and short. The skill required to plan and craft a thoughtful message is one that becomes more important as young people move from education to work. Also, a good, engaging story requires creativity, even when you're writing based on fact. It's important to learn how to capture attention, grab a reader's imagination and help them see the meaningful relevance to their own life.
"My grandpa has been through some tough times. I learned not to make the same mistakes he made." A better future – as individuals and as a society – is dependent on learning the lessons of the past. Young people also need more opportunities to learn beyond books, computers and the classroom – to learn about real life from real people, and make connections to their own future. Research shows that young people who can visualize their future and their actions in it are more likely to be successful.
I have to give the last word to one insightful teen: "I think younger generations will really profit if they listen to the words of old ladies and wrinkly old grandpas. Although our society and our technology will continue to change, the generations of people before us will always have something to give to the future. Even if it's just advice given to a 17-year-old who's excited and anxious about college, that advice may change the world. It's up to us, the young people, to take the wisdom of old people and run with it."
There it is, a contest that draws on the 20th Century to help us create a better 21st Century.
This year's Listen to a Life Contest has some special "firsts." Amongst the thousands of entries we received from coast-to-coast, our oldest co-entrant was 98 years old. In fact, for the first time, we have five oldest co-entrants of 98, one of which received recognition as a runner-up. The other first was a special Legacy Award made possible by our corporate partner EdOptions. The Legacy Project is working with the City of Tulsa, OK on a new Legacy Community Building initiative. Part of that initiative includes celebrating and connecting all generations. From the entries we received from the Tulsa area, we chose one as the Tulsa Legacy Award winner – a grade 4 student who made a "new best friend."
We here at the Legacy Project have a lot of good friends who make the Listen to a Life Contest possible every year. First of all, a warm thank you to the teachers and parents who encourage and support young people in entering this contest. A grateful thank you to Generations United in Washington, DC, who partners with us on the contest to reach out to young and old, and organizations big and small, across the country. An appreciative thank you to our corporate sponsors who provide such wonderful prizes. Lenovo has been with us from the start, providing a ThinkCentre computer as the Grand Prize. Frame USA gives us beautiful frames for the award certificates featuring each winning essay. And EdOptions provides not only prizes for all the winning students, but a special additional prize for the Grand Prize winner's school, which means that the contest can enrich the lives of so many more students over many years.
The last thank you, and perhaps the biggest, has to go to Jim Barry, an integral part of our judging committee over the last decade. He meticulously and respectfully goes over each entry, using both his head and his heart. Jim has helped us develop an intense, multi-step judging process – that includes red pen, yellow highlighter, happy and sad faces, stars and asterisks – to ensure we achieve the fairest and best possible end result. Jim, from my heart to yours, thank you (with a smiley face!).
The next Listen to a Life Contest starts on National Grandparents Day, Sunday, September 9, 2012. In the meantime, click below to find out this year's Grand Prize winner, the twenty national runners-up, and the Tulsa Legacy Award winner. The runners-up are presented in no particular order, other than an interesting sequence. Enjoy the stories – and thank you again to all the intergenerational teams for giving me such delightful reading every Spring!
With warm wishes,
Susan V. Bosak
Legacy Project Chair
Read the 2011-2012 Listen to a Life Contest Winners
Find out How to Enter the next contest |
