HIDDEN HISTORIES CAPTURING THE LAYERS OF CITIES BY MAPPING MEMORIES

THE IDEA Pairing tech-savvy youth with older adults To create custom digital maps of their cities based on memories, lost places, favorite haunts, and unforgettable stories Bringing together the people and places we see everyday

ATTRACTING INVOLVEMENT High school / college program Signs / stickers at existing Hidden Histories locations Signs / ads at participating local businesses Link or hashtag on friend’s social media post Sponsor – Ancestry.com or Google Maps ad Word of mouth (via friends or grandparents) Local church, community center, historical society, elderly care facility Signs / stickers at existing Hidden Histories locations Signs / ads at participating local businesses AARP brochure / mailing lists Sponsor – Ancestry.com or Google Maps ad Word of mouth (via friends or grandchildren) YouthElderly

ACTIVITY TIMELINE Matching Youth and elderly participants sign up for Hidden Histories Pairs are matched based on location, interests, and type of project (digital or physical experience) Pairs accept match and are given each other’s preferred contact details Pairs get in touch, discuss project, and register a Target Completion Date on Hidden Histories site Hidden History site informs pair about any upcoming local Hidden Histories exhibitions they can participate in Mapping Pairs begin mapping – either through walks around city or on a computer (using Hidden Histories step-by-step guide and Trip Journal) Photos, descriptions, and videos added to pinned locations Sharing Maps are completed and shared with friends and family Youth gets school credit or “badge points” for completing project / posting photos with #HiddenHistories Maps can be printed or shared globally through Hidden History site Pair can participate in exhibition at local school or community center Sponsors can purchase or obtain permission to use map information for city guides / family history sites

TESTING: PLATFORM Consider creating a Jauntful version to be printed or a physical display for a local exhibition Share with friends and family via Upload photos to Flikr and attach via URL Incorporate photos from Google Image Search or online Add pins and edit Description Create a new Google Map

TESTING: PROCESS Successes Brought up history – family, geographic, American pop culture Located unknown addresses through nearby landmarks, Google web and Google Image searches Enjoyable experience Preserving memories Seeing what locations look like today Remembering new details Finding pictures online of how it was Reminder to reconnect with old friends Felt like a record had been created for the future – children and grandchildren can go without the originator and still see family history Difficulties Pin reliance on exact locations causes frustration, accuracy seen as important Personal photos need to be scanned and uploaded Need a URL to be incorporated into map so must use Flickr or other public way of posting Time consuming for youth – tendency to leave for later or do separately, not involve older adult Eliminates learning opportunity Searching takes time – if trying to do together, can be frustrating Feeling that something is missing if the mystery is never solved Lessons learned, achievements, and frustrations experienced while mapping my mother’s childhood in Santa Monica, CA (from her kitchen table in New York, NY)

TESTING: RESULTS

TESTING: LEARNING Youth Feelings Skills are valued – searching, uploading photos Doing good – both for the mentee and greater community Sense of longevity and shared culture Youth Feelings Skills are valued – searching, uploading photos Doing good – both for the mentee and greater community Sense of longevity and shared culture Youth Benefits Learning about history – national, cultural, geographic, ethnic (i.e. pop culture, major historical events) Discovering new places Connection to mentee and involved parties Youth Benefits Learning about history – national, cultural, geographic, ethnic (i.e. pop culture, major historical events) Discovering new places Connection to mentee and involved parties Older Adult Feelings Excitement around rediscovery Nostalgia Sense of accomplishment – remembering places, discovering more details Relief that memories will be preserved Older Adult Feelings Excitement around rediscovery Nostalgia Sense of accomplishment – remembering places, discovering more details Relief that memories will be preserved Older Adult Benefits Greater facility in using search tools and online maps Opportunity to share memories with friends and family, future generations Preservation of knowledge and photos Older Adult Benefits Greater facility in using search tools and online maps Opportunity to share memories with friends and family, future generations Preservation of knowledge and photos

PLATFORMS / PARTNERS Google MapsTrip JournalWikitudeJauntfulAncestry.com

NEXT STEPS Testing Rural locations Physical walks Foreign locations Speak with sponsors / platforms Additional functionality – can they add helpful features Sponsoring events and meet-ups Possible events Matching meet-ups City-wide exhibitions at local school or historical society Ideas for expansion Gamification – development of an app with badges/points (make it more of a “treasure hunt”) Group maps – bringing people together around shared history Transferring data into city guides, other resources