Little Rock Central High School Memory Project

The Memory Project

Rooted in a partnership between Central High School and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, the Memory Project invites students to collect the personal stories of family and neighbors.

Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, stands as a monument to the actions of nine young African Americans who shaped the course of a nation.

1. Documenting history is a collaborative and never-ending process. The Memory Project demonstrates the importance of ongoing historical documentation and reflection. Though it began as a mandatory assignment for Central High School students, the Memory Project has since blossomed into an active and engaged endeavor that has allowed the public—students, faculty, and community members— to create and sustain a historical record.

2. Digital history expands the conversation. The Memory Project shares its resources with online audiences including interviews, essays, lesson plans, and facilitated dialogue programs.

3. Community-based projects can inspire a new generation of historians. Each year, the Memory Project empowers students to contribute to our shared history. The oral histories and written essays that students collect remind them that ordinary people like their family and neighbors have all made history.


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Memory Project students presented at the Arkansas Council for Social Studies Conference.