This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 125,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here on our website, heard on public radio, chronicled through our books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

News

You can now purchase audio downloads of individual essays!

Over the past nine years, we have broadcast hundreds of episodes of the This I Believe series, but only a handful of them were available as audio downloads through third-parties. Now you can download nearly every This I Believe essay ever broadcast, including many of the most popular essays from Edward R. Murrow's original 1950s radio series. You can find them on sale at our This I Believe Store.

Podcasts

Sign up for our free, weekly podcast of featured essays now airing on The Bob Edwards Show. You can download recent episodes individually, or subscribe to automatically receive each podcast. Learn more.

At Home In New Orleans

Man's Growth Toward Civilization
Photo by Katie Harbath via flickr

The music, the neighborhoods, the food, and the people make New Orleans a one-of-a-kind American city. Whether you’ve lived there your whole life or only visited once, you know why people feel at home there. Click the links below to read how these essayists have been inspired by their home in New Orleans.

  1. The Strange Blessing That Brought Me Home
  2. Listen to Your Mother-in-Law
  3. Home Restores You; I Believe in New Orleans
  4. My Home Is New Orleans
  5. Treating Everyone as Family

In Your Community

This I Believe in Your Community

All new first-year students at the University of New Orleans received a free copy of This I Believe before arriving on campus last fall. The book has been a focal point in their English classes, as well as UNIV, a one-credit course designed to introduce first-year students to college life. Many students and faculty have written their own "This I Believe" essays, and several shared them at a public gathering on campus. "When you tap into the essential, into that heart structure, you can reach higher," said UNO writing instructor Ali Arnold. Visit their website to learn more.

Click here to explore activities in other communities.

Learn more about This I Believe resources available to your school or community.