Two A-State Heritage Sites to Host Summer Community Scholars Training Program

JONESBORO – This summer, the Community Scholars Training Program will be held at two Arkansas State University Heritage Sites. The Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts Community Scholars Training Program is a free training opportunity for Arkansans interested in documenting, recording and showcasing community culture, folklife and traditional arts. Over two weekends this summer, the program will be held in partnership with the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home and the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum.

"Participants will gain skills in documenting and researching culture, archiving and presenting research, and developing collaborative projects with stakeholders and community organizations," said Adam Long, director of A-State Heritage Sites.

"The Community Scholars Program sessions were interesting and beneficial to me in my role at the museum – especially the discussions on exhibit labels, oral interview techniques and digital content," said Mary Clark, a program alumna and board member of the Eddie Mae Herron Center in Pocahontas. "The instructors were extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun," she continued.

The program includes two weekend training sessions held on Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8 and July 26-27. Throughout the program, participants will develop an idea for a project to practice the skills they have learned. Participants are required to commit to attending the entire training series. Registration is required.

"The June sessions will be held in Dyess at the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home and Museum, and we will hold the second weekend at the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza," Long added.

"It's a joy to be able to bring this program to new communities across Arkansas," said Virginia Siegel, director of Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts. "The upcoming program in Northeast Arkansas marks more than a dozen iterations of this training series. We are building a truly inspiring statewide network of Community Scholars Program alumni."

This training opportunity is free and open to the public. Visit folklife.uark.edu/scholar/ for more information and to register. Contact Lauren Willette at willette@uark.edu or call 479-575-4664 with questions or for assistance with the registration process.

Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts is a statewide program of the University of Arkansas Libraries dedicated to building cross-cultural understanding by documenting, showcasing and sustaining Arkansas's vibrant traditional art forms and cultural heritage.