Oral History Association

This year’s virtual symposium, Trauma-Informed Interviewing, Reckoning & Beyond is quickly approaching! The goal of the symposium is to open up the ways that oral historians think about the ethics, practice and responsibilities around listening to difficult stories. The symposium’s program committee has spent months talking together about what inclusive, decolonial and culturally diverse approaches to trauma look like.

In the lead-up to the symposium, some committee members have shared work they’ve read that has influenced their thinking. We share our reading list below to give you a taste of what is to come. Don’t forget to register for the symposium here: https://oha.memberclicks.net/trauma-informed2026 or through the link in our bio.

📣 The 2026 OHA annual meeting is October 14-17, 2026 at the Hilton Portland Downtown in Portland, OR. By advertising with OHA, attending the meeting as an exhibitor, or sponsoring the conference you will reach the most informed and connected oral historians working in the field today.

Attendees include participants in local and community history projects; teachers, students, and independent scholars; archivists and curators in the private and government sectors; and journalists and filmmakers. We hope you will join us! 🎙

📢 Advertise in our Program Book by Aug 1, 2026. Options:
Full page: $200
Half page: $150

🖥️ Exhibit in the Plaza Foyer with prices starting at $100.

🤝 Sponsor the event and highlight your organization!

To learn more visit https://oralhistory.org/advertising-exhibiting-and-sponsorships-at-ohas-annual-meeting/ or go to the link in our bio!

Reminder! Finding My People: An Introduction to Oral History Association Caucuses is happening Thursday, June 4th from 2-3PM CDT.

To join us, register at this link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/RpKeHnlWQiS48VG0fL3LRg or go to the link in our bio.

You’ll hear from current caucus leaders as they discuss the many ways oral historians connect through caucuses and share guidance on joining an existing caucus or starting a new one. We hope to see you there!

📣 Reminder : Call for Posters

Submit a poster for the 2026 Oral History Association Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon!

This year’s meeting invites posters that explore how memory, identity, belonging, and resilience are shaped by the places we inhabit, move through, or leave behind. Topics may include environmental change, migration, political instability, place, memory, community, and the role of oral history in documenting relationships between people and place.

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2026

Go to the link in our bio to submit your poster!

Volunteer to chair a session at the 2026 Oral History Association Annual Meeting and help support engaging conversations and meaningful dialogue within the oral history community. Sessions are matched with volunteers based on their areas of expertise and interest.

The 2026 Annual Meeting will take place October 14 – 17, 2026 in Portland, OR.

All chairs must be registered attendees.

Selected volunteers will receive session assignments and details in June.

Volunteer form deadline: June 3, 2026

For more information and to complete the volunteer form, visit the link in our bio.

Reminder: The OHA Call for Events iReminder: The OHA Call for Events i still open!

Interested in hosting an event, caucus/committee business meeting, meetup, or networking session at the OHA Annual Conference? Now’s the time to submit your request.

Deadline: May 31, 2026
Space is limited, and approvals are determined by OHA’s program committee and executive office.

Go to the link in our bio to access the submission form and learn more about this year’s conference theme. Questions? Email [email protected].

📣🎥 Call for Proposals: Help Build a New Oral History Course

The Oral History Association is seeking proposals to create sessions for a new asynchronous oral history course on Udemy.

🧠 Topics include: interviewing, archiving and preservation, ethics, project planning, recording equipment, and more.

💡 Selected instructors will develop a 1.5–2 hour session + resources and receive a $500 honorarium.

📅 Deadline: **July 1, 2026**

👉 Bring your expertise, shape the curriculum, and help train the next generation of oral historians!

Visit the link in our bio to learn more and apply!

Applications for the OHA Indigenous Initiative Research Fund are due June 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

This annual $1,250 award supports oral historians actively engaged in collaborative, community-based oral history research projects with Indigenous peoples. The fund helps offset project costs and supports meaningful, ethical oral history work by, of, and for Indigenous communities.

Applicants should submit a narrative statement, resume or CV, project budget, and contact information for two references.

Go to the link in our bio to access the Grants and Awards page, where you can apply.

2026 Scholarship Opportunities Now Open!

The Oral History Association provides funding each year to help presenters, attendees, and international scholars participate in the Annual Meeting.

Presenter Scholarships:
Support for students, professionals, and community practitioners presenting at the Annual Meeting. Awards may help cover travel and participation costs.

Non-Presenter Scholarships:
Funding for individuals who want to attend and engage in the conference but are not presenting. Open to students, professionals, and community practitioners.

International Scholarships:
Designed to support international oral historians presenting their work at the Annual Meeting. Applicants from around the world and all experience levels are encouraged to apply.

Deadline for all scholarships: June 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM CDT

For more information and to apply, visit the link in our bio.

The Oral History Review has announced three new Calls for Papers (CFPs)!

We’re inviting submissions for upcoming issues beginning in Spring 2027. If your work engages oral history in timely, urgent, and practical ways, we want to hear from you.

Current CFP themes include:

* Oral History, Climate Change & The Environment
From ecological knowledge to agriculture, urban ecology, and climate crisis.

* Oral History in Practice
Applied oral history, survey articles, and archival work.

* Conflict Oral History
Ukraine, Palestine, refugee histories, and ethical engagement in crisis and conflict zones.

For consideration in the Spring 2027 issue, submit by July 2026
(Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.)

Go to the link in our bio to learn more.