What comes to mind when you think of Missouri? What has living here meant in your life? What do you hope for future Missourians? These are some of the prompts that a team of Missouri School of Journalism students will be asking Missourians at several festivals and events this summer as the state commemorates 200 years of statehood.

Missouri on Mic is seeking any Missourians who are interested in the opportunity to record brief stories, anecdotes and responses to provided prompts surrounding their experiences as Missouri citizens.

Missouri on Mic is a collaboration of the State Historical Society of Missouri, KBIA and Ragtag Film Society in Columbia. It will make its debut at the True False Film Fest in May. Missouri residents who are interested in having their thoughts and stories on Missouri recorded for the project can visit the audio booth at the island shelter at Stephens Lake Park from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 8, and 12:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 9.

COVID-19 safety precautions will be strictly adhered to visitors at the Missouri on Mic audio booth. The audio booth will be set up in the free space of the park during the festival and no admission nor ticket is required.

Missouri on Mic also will set up its traveling audio booth at CoMo 200, Columbia’s bicentennial celebration the weekend of July 2-4. In August, it will be at Together for ’21 Fest, Missouri’s bicentennial festival at the Center for Missouri Studies and the University of Missouri-Columbia campus August 6-8. Missouri on Mic will travel to Jefferson City for Statehood Day at the State Capitol, Tuesday, August 10.

KBIA News will produce stories from Missourians in a similar way as National Public Radio’s Story Corp series. Stories will be archived at the State Historical Society of Missouri, as well as play before films at Ragtag Cinema this fall. If you’re unable to attend any of the events scheduled for Missouri on Mic, you can still have your story recorded remotely for the project by contacting KBIA at news@kbia.org.