Shawn T. Daley

Daley's "A Really Big Show" project is designed to foster a relationship between 120 Gresham High School students, the Courtyard Fountains Retirement community residents and the staff of the Gresham Historical Society to work together on a historic preservation effort. Under his program, these "core institutions" will collaborate in sharing senior citizen stories about life in Gresham between 1955 and 1970. Using digital recorders, students will create an archive of digital interviews of residents at the retirement community and work with the Historical Society staff to add their work to its local research materials. Students will celebrate their work with the senior citizens through a reenactment of Ed Sullivan's variety television show. Daley believes that it is vital that students learn civic involvement by interacting with and gaining insight from the local senior citizen community while assisting the local historical society. This program would be a great opportunity for Gresham students to provide a valuable service to the understaffed Gresham Historical Society and bridge the tremendous disconnect between teenagers and civic virtue. Daley lives in Portland.