You walk into a community center where a group of teenagers is setting up a recorder to capture the story of a local volunteer organization. The room is filled with flyers, old photographs, and a few handwritten minutes from past meetings. The task is to turn these fragments into a coherent history while keeping the interview process clear and manageable for young or inexperienced interviewers.
Setting and Relationship
1. Who is the most senior volunteer you can interview today? (Ask for a name and a brief role description)
2. Where does the organization usually meet for planning? (Note the room or outdoor space)
3. How long has the organization been active in the community? (Ask for the founding year)
4. Who helped you choose this interviewee? (Identify a teacher, mentor, or family member)
5. What is your relationship to the interviewee? (Friend, student, neighbor, etc.)
6. Where will you conduct the interview? (Quiet office, garden, or community hall)
7. What time of day works best for the interviewee? (Morning, afternoon, evening)
8. How many people will be present during the interview? (List participants)
9. What language or dialect does the interviewee prefer? (Record this preference)
10. What visual aids can you bring to help the interviewee recall events? (Photos, flyers, timeline board)
11. How will you introduce the purpose of the interview? (Simple statement of “We are recording the organization’s history”)
12. What backup plan do you have if the interviewee is unavailable? (Another volunteer, a recorded message, or written notes)
Interview Basics for Young Participants
1. What is the name of the organization? (Write it exactly as spoken)
2. When was the first project the organization completed? (Ask for month and year)
3. Who started the organization? (Name and any known background)
4. What was the first meeting place? (Specify location)
5. How many members were there at the start? (Ask for a number)
6. What was the first activity the group organized? (Describe the activity briefly)
7. Who were the early supporters? (Names or types of community members)
8. What tools or supplies did the group use at the beginning? (List items)
9. How did the organization advertise its first events? (Posters, word‑of‑mouth, school bulletin)
10. What was the first challenge the group faced? (Brief description)
11. How did the group celebrate its first success? (Event or acknowledgment)
12. What is one lesson the early members still talk about? (Ask for a specific anecdote)
Core History Questions
1. What major projects has the organization completed in the past decade? (List three to five)
2. Who are the most memorable volunteers and why? (Ask for a name and a short reason)
3. How has the mission statement changed over time? (Quote the original and current versions if possible)
4. What partnerships has the organization formed? (Schools, businesses, other NGOs)
5. How does the organization raise funds? (Events, grants, donations)
6. What milestones does the organization celebrate annually? (Anniversary, awards)
7. How has the volunteer demographic shifted? (Age groups, professions)
8. What technology does the organization use now that it didn’t before? (Social media, online forms)
9. What is the most recent project completed? (Name and date)
10. How does the organization decide on new projects? (Decision‑making process)
11. What are the biggest obstacles the organization faces today? (Funding, recruitment, regulations)
12. What future goals does the organization have for the next five years? (Specific objectives)
Follow‑up and Clarification Techniques
1. Can you give an example of that event? (Prompt for a short story)
2. What made that moment stand out for you? (Ask for feelings or impact)
3. Who was involved in that decision? (Names and roles)
4. How did you solve the problem that arose? (Step‑by‑step description)
5. What was the reaction from the community? (Quote or paraphrase)
6. When did you first notice the change you mentioned? (Exact date or season)
7. Why did the organization choose that particular partner? (Reasoning)
8. How did the new technology improve the work? (Specific benefit)
9. What would you have done differently in hindsight? (Reflection)
10. Who can you point to for more details on that story? (Contact person)
11. What documents or photos could illustrate that point? (Ask for items to capture)
12. How does that experience connect to the organization’s overall mission? (Link back to purpose)
Managing Sensitive or Unexpected Answers
1. Have there been any disagreements that affected the group’s direction? (Ask for a brief description)
2. What happened when a major project failed? (Describe the outcome)
3. How did the organization respond to a loss of a key volunteer? (Steps taken)
4. Were there any moments when funding was cut? (Explain the impact)
5. How does the group handle volunteer burnout? (Policies or practices)
6. What legal or safety issues has the organization faced? (Mention without giving advice)
7. Have any community members expressed criticism? (Summarize the feedback)
8. How did the organization address a conflict with a partner? (Resolution method)
9. What unexpected event caused a shift in priorities? (Describe the event)
10. How does the organization support volunteers dealing with personal loss? (Brief overview)
11. Were there any moments when the organization considered disbanding? (State the situation)
12. What lessons were learned from an upsetting incident? (Key takeaway)
Processing and Sharing the Material
1. After the interview, what stood out to you the most? (Personal observation)
2. Which answer surprised you, and why? (Explain the surprise)
3. How many new names or dates did you record? (Count them)
4. Which visual aid helped the interviewee recall details? (Identify the item)
5. What gaps did you notice in the story? (List missing pieces)
6. How will you organize the recordings for future reference? (Folder structure or labeling)
7. What format will you use for the final archive? (PDF, audio folder, website)
8. Who will receive a copy of the finished history? (List audiences)
9. How can the material be turned into a school project? (Suggest a presentation format)
10. What simple booklet could you create for families of volunteers? (Pages and content outline)
11. How will you credit the interviewees and contributors? (Acknowledgment method)
12. What next step will you take to preserve the organization’s story? (Action item)
Worth remembering: The most useful practice is to keep each question short, concrete, and anchored to a visual cue or specific event, allowing young interviewers to stay focused, follow up with simple prompts, and capture reliable details without overwhelming the conversation.
Common questions
What equipment is actually necessary?
A basic smartphone or tablet with a built‑in microphone, a notebook for quick notes, and a stable surface for the device are sufficient for most youth‑led interviews.
What settings should I use?
Choose a quiet indoor space with minimal echo, set the recording app to high‑quality audio, and position the device a few feet from the interviewee to capture clear sound.
How do I back up the recording safely?
After each interview, copy the file to a cloud storage folder and also to a USB drive; label both with the date and interviewee name for easy retrieval.