The Preserving Black Haddonfield project that many students participated in with Ms. Maiese focuses on many of the diverse struggles and stories of the Black residents in Haddonfield. Preserving Black Haddonfield was first introduced over the summer of 2022 as a way of honoring the Black residents in Haddonfield. Haddonfield is a predominantly white town, so by recognizing the Black citizens of Haddonfield and other nearby towns, it is taking a huge step forward in the recording the history of this town and other towns.

Last year, Haddonfield Memorial High School students were assigned a resident to interview for a memoir about their lives and childhood. Students would first interview the resident and take notes about the resident, then compile their life story into narratives. Later in the school year in February 2023, there was a program to honor the anthologies written last year. 

There is also another project that Ms. Maiese’s class participates annually in which is very similar to the Preserving Black Haddonfield interviews. Students interview elders from the Mabel Kay Senior Center, coordinated by Sheri Siegel, in Haddonfield, over by the Acme. Students pair up in partners, and get assigned to a senior citizen to interview. Students are asked to come up with questions about their childhood, and life experiences to eventually turn into memoirs. During the block periods, where class time is eighty minutes, Ms. Maiese and her classes walk over to the center and meet with their citizens three times. The citizens love it because they have a chance to talk about their experiences and have them honored in a published memoir, which for them is very exciting. The students love it because they get to meet new people, and learn about different styles of writing to further their writing education. The students learn how to ask critical questions and to work with unique people, which is part of what makes this learning experience so special. This project promotes project based learning, which is beneficial for the future of the school and the students. 

Once the interviews are concluded, students combine all of their interviews and information into memoirs filled with memories and photographs. When they are finished and edited, there are congratulations to the students, as they officially become a published author! “The most rewarding part of the entire process is giving the citizens the book, and seeing their eyes light up with excitement, and seeing them relive all of their experience that they cherish,” a student from the 2022-2023 6th period class stated.