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Fascinating research has found that children who know a lot about their families tend to be more resilient and do better when they face challenges. Studies of seniors have found that engaging in reminiscence and talking about “the way things were” has tremendous impact on seniors’ psychological well-being and sense of life satisfaction.
We at Memory Catcher have launched a movement to combine the two through “The Tale Treasury” Legacy Foundation. Connecting Edmonton youth with elders in their families and communities through an oral history curriculum for local schools, The Tale Treasury’s goal is to bridge the generation gap and facilitate meaningful connections between our elders and our youth.
Join our movement to
connect generations and unite families!
While Memory Catcher helps families record personal and family history in the form of A&E style video biographies, we are excited to see how many more families we can reach with our “street team” of students recording their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents stories as written memoirs.
The Tale Treasury was inspired by our passion for interacting with both seniors and youth, as well as the work of Dr. Marshall Duke of Emory University, who found that children who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges. Dr. Duke found that the more children know about their family’s history, the more they are resilient, experience a stronger sense of control over their lives, have higher self-esteem and believe their families function successfully.
As Professor Samuel Gladding of Wake Forest University in North Carolina observed:
“If you know the past, you are much more likely to benefit from it and be inspired or determined to make the future better or at least as good as the past. Knowing family stories can inspire children to ask ‘Can I do as well or better?’ If you don’t have something to aspire to, you probably won’t grow. Telling stories that highlight older relatives making their mark can reinforce older adults’ self-worth, while inspiring younger family members.”
We’re looking forward to hearing the stories of remarkable Edmontonians, captured by and for children and their families, and can’t wait to see what inspiration these stories stir in our youth!
Calling all Volunteers!
We’re currently looking for volunteer facilitators to visit local schools, to teach elementary to high school students interview and writing techniques through The Tale Treasury’s oral history curriculum.
To register as a volunteer, or to inquire about having The Tale Treasury’s program
at your school, please email info@memorycatcher.ca
*Please include “The Tale Treasury” in the subject line.