Georgia students will play a role in preserving civil rights history as the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington approaches.

Twenty-two college students from the Atlanta area will travel to Washington D.C. on August 24. They’ll collect as many as 200 interviews with civil rights leaders and activists to capture their experiences at the time when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

The initiative is part of the 2013 “I Am Here” Exchange stemming from a partnership between The National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the New World Foundation. Stan Salett, who first conceived this project, was a member of the original March on Washington’s local organizing committee.

According to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, who spoke at the original march, civil rights leader the Reverend Joseph Lowery, and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin will be among those interviewed.

Doug Shipman, CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, said in a press release, “As we recognize the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, we are proud to provide our future generation of young leaders with the opportunity to learn about the motivations and experiences of our past leaders.”

The interviews will be archived by The National Center for Civil and Human Rights scheduled to open in 2014 in downtown Atlanta.

Tags: Civil Rights, Dr. Martin Luther King, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., March on Washington