Eighth-grade students at Shady Side Academy Middle School recently participated in an innovative storytelling project through reGenerations, a platform founded by Adele Ryono, a 10th-grader from California. Designed to preserve oral histories and strengthen intergenerational connections, reGenerations encourages young people to engage in meaningful conversations with older generations, capturing the stories and perspectives that shape our present.
Shady Side was the first school to participate in this initiative, after Ryono personally reached out to SSA President Bart Griffith and Head of Middle School Michelle Merson to bring the project to SSA. Over two Zoom sessions during Advisory, Ryono introduced students to a modified version of the “Gen Ed” program, a free workshop that guides participants through crafting a reGenerations profile. Students learned interviewing, writing, and editing skills while exploring how perspectives are passed down through generations.
After these initial sessions, students were given additional advisory time to refine their work. While submitting to the reGenerations website was optional, several students chose to publish their oral history profiles–some anonymously–on an SSA-exclusive page within the platform.
The project ties into the eighth grade’s end-of-year capstone on legacy, reinforcing the importance of understanding history through lived experiences. With its success in this first iteration, the collaboration has the potential to expand in future years, allowing more students to engage in meaningful storytelling that bridges generations.
Through reGenerations, SSA students not only honed their research and writing skills but also gained a deeper appreciation for the voices and experiences of those who came before them—a lesson that extends far beyond the classroom.
Click here to read the SSA Middle Schoolers’ stories on reGenerations.