The National Teachers Initiative celebrates and honors the courageous work of public school educators nationwide. By recording, sharing, and preserving the diverse stories of teachers, we hope to bring larger public awareness of their work and call attention to the invaluable influence they have on us all. The National Teachers Initiative will focus on these heroic teachers, inclusive of all ethnicities, cultures, and ages.
The National Teachers Initiative places special attention on the work of teachers in public school districts striving to increase the number of students who graduate prepared for college and careers; these stories are collected from both rural and urban public schools across the country.
Interview pairs for the National Teachers Initiative may consist of two teachers interviewing one another, friends discussing the impact an exemplary teacher had on their lives, a student or former student interviewing a memorable teacher, or other relevant pairings. As with all StoryCorps interviews, participants will receive a CD copy of the interview; a second copy will be archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations. Select National Teachers Initiative interviews will be edited for nationwide public radio broadcasts throughout the 2011–2012 school year.
The National Teachers Initiative is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.