Kentucky Historical Society
Community Scholar Program to Be Offered in London

Frankfort, KY (Sept. 3, 2009)— The Kentucky Folklife Program, in partnership with the Folk Studies Department of Western Kentucky University and the Laurel County African American Heritage Center, invites the public to join the Community Scholars training program to be hosted this fall at the Union College London Center. 

Through this program, participants will become familiar with folklife documentation techniques, ethics of working with communities, research methods, presentation of cultural resources, writing and project development. As participants learn these skills, they will apply them to independent projects of their own choosing. The course begins on Monday, Sept. 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. and will continue on Monday evenings for 12 weeks (through Nov. 30).  Make-up sessions will be made available if needed for unavoidable absences. 

Participants will earn Community Scholars certification and become part of a Community Scholars' network that reaches across the state, promoting and advocating traditional arts and culture by sharing cultural resources with teachers, students, youth groups, communities and cultural tourists.  Scholars receive training in standards of authenticity and quality and might serve as consultants to the development of local heritage festivals, heritage sites and other cultural activities. They learn presentation techniques, such as narrative stages and interpretive signage that can enhance heritage festivals.

With their intimate knowledge of local culture, Community Scholars have much to offer. Beyond their own communities, they also contribute to current community arts, arts-in-education and regional heritage grants/initiatives connected to the Kentucky Arts Council, the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Oral History Commission.

For more information, contact Mark Brown at Mark.Brown@ky.gov or  502-564-1792, or Judy Sizemore at circuit@prtcnet.org or 606-364-5831.

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future.  KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.   Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors.   For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.