StoryCorps Mobile Tour is coming back to Boise this August

StoryCorps, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs, comes to Boise from Aug. 4 to Sept. 2 to record interviews, in-person and virtually, as part of its Mobile Tour.

This will be the Mobile Tour's third visit to Idaho's capital city – it first visited in 2008 and again in 2013.

For this trip, the iconic StoryCorps airstream will be parked at the Boise State Public Radio studios at 220 E Parkcenter Blvd. in Boise. All appointments have been booked.

Here's how to prepare for your StoryCorps experience:

• Read what to expect and visit StoryCorps' great questions page
• Bring your friend or loved one to the StoryCorps recording facility. Their trained staff will explain the process, make you feel comfortable, and sit with you during your 40-minute session.
• Be sure to send Boise State Public Radio photos of your experience, and tell us how it went on our Facebook page or on Twitterusing the #StoryCorpsBoise.

“I appreciate how they dig into a community,” said Tom Michael, Boise State Public Radio General Manager. “Have you ever heard an amazing story that you wish everyone could hear? That’s what they do. They record deep conversations between people and pull out the best parts. We’re proud to host them. I’m jazzed to know their iconic Airstream trailer will be parked in front of Boise State Public Radio for a full month.”

Now in its 17th year, the StoryCorps Mobile Tour has facilitated thousands of meaningful conversations between people who know and care about one another. StoryCorps is committed to creating a safe recording environment and has introduced several measures to its recording process in Boise, where participants have the option of recording in-person or via StoryCorps’ Virtual Recording Booth, a video-conferencing platform that can be accessed remotely using an internet-connected device.

In a StoryCorps interview, two people record a meaningful conversation with one another about who they are, what they’ve learned in life, and how they want to be remembered. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides them through the interview process. After each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a digital copy of their interview. With participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.

Founded in 2003 by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay, StoryCorps has traveled to every corner of the country to record interviews in the organization’s effort to create a world where we listen closely to each other and recognize the beauty, grace and poetry in the lives and stories we find all around us.

“StoryCorps tells an authentic American story—that we are a people defined by small acts of courage, kindness and heroism. Each interview reminds people that their lives matter and will not be forgotten,” said Isay. “During this pandemic, the value of preserving these stories, and of strengthening connections between people who may feel physically isolated, is more important than ever.”

In Boise, StoryCorps will partner with NPR affiliate Boise State Public Radio, who will air a selection of the local interviews and create special programs around the project. StoryCorps may also share excerpts of these stories with the world through the project’s popular weekly NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books.

StoryCorps is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.