At Listenwise, we believe in the power of storytelling and the transformative potential of audio learning. This year, our team has curated a new selection of Listenwise Staff Picks 2024 that not only entertain but also educate, covering a range of topics from social-emotional learning to sports and world history.
Let’s explore the lessons that have captured our hearts and minds this year!
“WPA Recordings Captured Everyday Life”
With so many people documenting their lives on social media these days, it’s easy to forget that the daily thoughts and experiences of people from the past have largely been lost. That’s why “WPA Recordings Captured Everyday Life” captivated me.
This story features the voices of folks who lived through monumental and painful historical events – the Dust Bowl, the Depression, enslavement, the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Hearing these voices fired my imagination: Who were these people? Would I have responded the same way had I lived through these events? What connects us? I would have loved playing this story for my students when I taught U.S. history and seeing how human voices from the past can help kids – and all of us – increase our empathy and understanding.
- Vicki, Content Development Manager
With the increasing levels of antisemitism and Holocaust denialism in the United States and across the world, I believe it is more important than ever for the stories of Holocaust survivors to be preserved, shared and discussed. This particular story moves me both because of its tragedy but also because of its humanity.
- Adam, VP of Sales
“Young Farmer Plants Seeds for Community”
“Young Farmer Plants Seeds for Community” reminds me of my parents’ stories about the challenges they saw growing up in South Asia.
In this story, Dewmini has to sacrifice her education in order to provide for her family, a challenge that many young girls around the world face. I was truly inspired by Dewmini’s hard work and determination to help her family and her community. Her journey is a beautiful example of how passion and resourcefulness can lead to positive change.
- Sarosha, Content Production Coordinator
“Cousins Celebrate Childhood Neighborhood in ‘Dream Street’”
I love how this story illuminates the beauty in everyday life. It features a delightful conversation between two cousins, a writer and an artist, who collaborated on a picture book inspired by childhood memories. It’s fun to hear them talk about their creative process, their fond recollections of their neighborhood and the people who lived there, and their thoughts on how small moments can both shape and reflect who we are.
- Marielle, Director of Curriculum
“A Runner’s Memoir Focuses on Her Need to Matter”
Like many other people obsessed with sports, I can often fall into the trap of assuming professional athletes are all uber-confident, unflappable superhumans. While it does take a tremendous amount of self-belief to reach the pinnacle of their respective sports, athletes are still just people at the end of the day, and many deal with the same mental struggles that many of us do. In her memoir, Bravey, Olympic runner Alexi Pappas explores how, despite her athletic achievements and all the external validation that came with that, she needed to learn to love herself from within to realize how much she mattered in the world.
One of my favorite quotes from the story is when she says, “My doctor helped me understand that my brain was a body part, just like my leg, and it could get injured like any other body part, and it could also heal like any other body part.”
I’m thrilled that the importance of mental health has begun to permeate the sports world. The brain is the strongest muscle in the body, and world-class athletes, just like all of us, need to make sure they’re keeping it healthy, just like they would any other muscle.
- Matt, Director of Account Management
