People of America Foundation - Americans All

     Americans All is a community outreach and empowerment program. Our multipurpose storytelling tool helps leaders, at all levels, improve the mental, social and economic health of their constituents. Schools and nonprofits receive a free lifetime membership.

     Students receive a free subscription to our Social Legacy Network until their class graduates. Community members get a free subscription for one year. After their free trials expire, individuals can continue to receive discounts on goods and services from our business partners via a subscription fee of $4 per month; 87 percent of the subscription fee goes to a school of their choice. Businesses and professional service providers pay a membership fee of $49 every six months to join Americans All, and 77 percent of the membership fee goes to a school of their choice. All funds are unrestricted. If a school is not registered for Americans All, the funds are donated to the school’s district.

Research confirms that life stories are central to people’s sense of self and the social world they inhabit. Life stories also are associated with positive mental health and a sense of wholeness, well-being and belonging. In today’s polarized, socially segregated and increasingly diverse America, investments in belonging are more urgent than ever. When people belong, they feel emotionally connected and welcomed.

      Although we are no longer involved in curriculum areas, many of our resources are still useful in academic areas, especially our Ellis Island Simulation Workshop and our Photograph Collection. 

    Our storytelling tool–which can be used in multiple languages--is an ideal vehicle to help focus on our population's commonalities rather than their differences. By sharing stories, we can all recognize the contributions of every citizen, while reinforcing the values of diversity and respect, and promoting tolerance, acceptance, empathy and understanding.    

     To accomplish this, we are in the pilot phase of implementing the AA program in Maryland. For students, creating and publishing an individual or a group story helps them develop skills in researching, critical thinking and, especially, writing—skills needed to help them better understand our democracy. It also helps ensure their success in postsecondary institutions and/or the workforce in our increasingly global economy. Moreover, students can use their stories to create virtual yearbooks for all the clubs and teams in which they participate.

 We provide students with an opportunity and a vehicle to use storytelling to:

• Learn how to use concise language and to enhance tories with photographs and other media. Students can record important events and memories as well as share their pride in their ethnic and cultural identity.
• Publish a legacy story on our Web-based Heritage Honor Roll to ensure the significance of a lifetime will not be forgotten and enables students to have a permanent and accessible social media presence that truly describes who they are.
• Utilize storytelling as a wonderful intergenerational bonding experience that builds empathy, compassion and understanding.
• Help others less skilled in the art of writing and the use of technology to incorporate images and recordings into their legacy stories, a student can earn service-learning credits.
• Helping others create and enhance a story also demonstrates to prospective employers and postsecondary institutions a student’s character and appreciation for how volunteerism benefits a community.

Click here for tips on “How to create a legacy story.”