Harpswell Coastal Academy Chris Moss participated in the Voices of the Pandemic project, looking at lives impacted by COVID-19. Contributed photo via Harpswell Coastal Academy

An oral history project at local charter school  Harpswell Coastal Academy, Voices of the Pandemic, has students examining how COVID-19 has impacted the livelihoods and well-being of locals, including a teacher, commercial fisherman, general store owner and a nurse.

“At Harpswell Coastal Academy, we help students identify what they care about, understand the historical and contemporary dynamics that impact it, and develop skills for meaningful action,” said Head of School Scott Barksdale. “The great work that students are doing in this year’s Voices project is such a neat example of that.”

The class researched the pandemic’s global scope, studied oral histories from NPR’s StoryCorps, and culled interviewing tips from a New York Public Library curator. Recordings will be posted to harpswellstories.org and may be exhibited at the school.

“Generations to come after us can hear these stories that people might not hear otherwise,” said sophomore Chris Moss. “In 20 years, we will be talking about what happened and teaching kids about this time.”

Because of his family’s lobstering lineage, Moss focused on the seafood industry. He interviewed a commercial tuna fisherman who shifted his business to charter fishing excursions as a result of the pandemic’s impact on restaurants and consumers.

“Students realized how oral histories allow us to preserve future history,” said humanities teacher Whitney Conway. “Traditional ways of learning history have been from the top down. Now they are recording history from the bottom up, from regular people, and they understand why that matters.”

For more information, visit harpswellcoastalacademy.org