Washington students invited to create 1968 oral history projects for statewide competition

Students throughout Washington in grades 9-12 are invited to enter a statewide oral history competition to complement the new exhibit 1968: The Year that Rocked Washington by Legacy Washington, a program of the Office of the Secretary of State.

The competition will open Jan. 1 and run until April 30, with finalists invited to a reception in June. Entries are to consist of a 4-10 page written profile or essay, based on interviews and research, telling the story of a person who experienced the tumult of 1968. Winning works will be published online by the Office of Secretary of State. Legacy Washington invites educators to participate in this special event by sharing it with their classrooms.

“This competition gives students in our state a wonderful opportunity to participate in telling the story of an immensely significant time in Washington and world history,” Secretary of State Kim Wyman said. 

“I’m proud that the Office of Secretary of State can sponsor this statewide contest, and I’m eager to read the entries sent in by students after interviewing relatives, family friends, and other fascinating members of communities across Washington.”

Legacy Washington’s 1968: The Year that Rocked Washington homepage features educational resources including Common Core-aligned lesson plans, 16 extended profiles of Washingtonians deeply involved in the year’s historic events, and more details about the oral history competition, including instructions on how to conduct an oral history interview. Further information on the Legacy Washington project can be found HERE.

Washington’s Office of Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. 

The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.