Turning toward Mashapaug: Using Oral History to Teach about Place and Community in Providence, Rhode Island

The Mashapaug Pond oral history project represented a multidisciplinary, sustained, collaborative project to teach about community in Providence, Rhode Island. A partnership between UPP Arts and Brown University's Center for Public Humanities, the oral history project provided multiple opportunities for students to learn about local communities. This article describes how the project used community art and oral history to connect students to historical documents, community residents, local organizations, and a significant place. Through their explorations in archives and their interviews, students built an archive of materials and an archive of knowledge they could publicly share to inspire community transformations. Along with detailing how the project evolved over time, its coordinators consider its impact on students and the broader community.