Roots with Wings: Floyd County, Virginia Place-based Education Oral History Project

The Roots with Wings: Floyd County Place-based Education Oral History Project has continually worked toward the goal of capturing stories from our past and our community. Roots with Wings is dedicated to the partnership between high school students, college mentors, and community members. These groups work together to collect stories from our past and ensure they are heard by future generations. High school students are taught to appropriately interview, record, video, transcribe and movie make, creating a historical treasure for families and the community. Roots with Wings seeks to embody the ideals of place-based education in which education is rooted within the community and fosters the development of a sense of place. Place-based education draws upon the local history, culture, and environment of a place as a curriculum source that seeks to connect students to their community. Our high school students use resources and individuals within our community to supplement the educational curriculum and create student-guided learning opportunities. Within Roots with Wings, students are asked to become creators of knowledge and exercise their own voices through inquiry and action. Our teachers, college mentors, and community members serve as support systems and co-learners throughout the entire interview and moviemaking process. The partnerships among the Old Church Gallery, Floyd County High School, and Radford University have created a successful collaboration that allows students an opportunity to appreciate and highly regard the place in which they live through our Roots with Wings project