Speaking History: Learn about the past for a better future

​Team Lead: ​Audrey Zhou
Team member: Sarah Jafari, Nathan Lee, Marcus Hwang, Sabine Kuo, Joseph Sung

Project Abstract:
Part 1: ​Mission
 Speaking History is a non-profit organization that seeks to educate, empower, and empathize. First, educating the world about the refugee crisis. By educating the world on the stories of yesterday, we hope to supply the leaders of tomorrow with insights, ideas and an understanding to build the structures and policies of tomorrow. We do this through our podcasts about the history of the world. Second, empowering the voices of refugees and individuals. We don’t find specific documentation of people who lived in difficult time periods of history in our school textbooks and everyday media. Speaking History seeks to solve this problem by lifting up the voices of refugees and individuals who have experienced difficulties and bring them to light. We do this through interviews. Third, empathizing with those of us who have endured much hardship. It’s one thing to learn and hear the voices of refugees, and another to feel their hardships and empathize with them. Once we understand the pain and the sadness, our perspective changes. We help people empathize with these resilient people through our book series for children to put you into this perspective of difficulties refugees face. That is Speaking History’s mission. To make history speak.

Part 2: Progress
As of July 15, Speaking History has made substantial progress in accomplishing its goals to educate, empower, and empathize through podcasts, interviews, events, and books. Regarding podcasts, we have written, extensively edited, and recorded two (roughly 15 minute) podcasts, as well as making Instagram posts to share these. The first podcast provides a historical analysis on Homer’s Odyssey, while the second describes the Castle Garden Emigrant Depot. We recently conducted and recorded an interview with the director of an organization dedicated to refugee education and are contacting several other refugee centers in order to host more interviews. We are currently planning multiple events, including the Back to School Bash and a Lower School project. Our first book, detailing a boy’s time travel into Ancient Egypt with the help of a magical vespa, is now complete and awaiting editing. After printing, we plan to donate copies to refugees and kids. Additionally, we have been successfully recruiting more members, designing organization jackets and logos, and brainstorming plans for the future.

Part 3: Impact
Speaking History has been working hard to achieve their mission to educate, empower, and empathize. First, we educated by writing and recording 4 podcasts, which are ready to be published on Apple Podcasts. The first 2 come from our Great Books series about Dante’s Inferno and about Homer’s Odyssey. Our other 2 come from our American Immigration Station series which discusses the Castle Garden Emigration Depot and Angel Island. Additionally, Sarah Jafari wrote and has written 2 books from the Miraculous Journeys of Theo and His Vespa series which showcases the history of Ancient Egypt and Greece. By educating the world with the stories of the past, we ensure that the world is better fit for the future. Second, we empowered the voices of refugees by conducting interviews with people who work with and are themselves refugees which help us learn about their lives which we so easily overlook. Third, Speaking History has fostered empathy with refugees and their hardships. By volunteering at SDRT’s Bike Day and Back to School Bash, we stepped into their daily lives and assisted them with school supplies, and necessary toiletries. Speaking History’s mission is flourishing, ensuring history continues to speak. ​