Poetry in the Great Outdoors

Training Community Journalists in DC

Access to local journalism has been declining for years now. Newspapers are closing, journalists are being laid off, and media outlets have reduced or eliminated local coverage. HumanitiesDC’s Community Journalism Program addresses this pressing need by training Washington, D.C., residents in the discipline of journalism so they can tell the stories that matter most to them and their neighbors. In this episode, hear from the program’s coordinator, one of the professional journalist trainers, and a recent program graduate about how the program works and why it's needed now more than ever. Show notes and transcript available at statehumanities.org/podcast [https://www.statehumanities.org/podcast/].

Supporting HBCU Scholarship

Virginia Humanities has been working to connect the academic and public sides of the humanities for decades through their fellowship programs. Their newest fellowship supports faculty and alumni of HBCUs—historically Black colleges and universities. The focus at these schools is often on teaching, which means opportunities for humanities research can be limited. The HBCU Scholars Fellowship gives these humanities scholars time to focus on research projects, projects that in turn enrich the public. In this episode, we speak with current HBCU Scholars Fellow Dr. Monika Rhue and Virginia Humanities’ Yosef Medina, who runs the program. Show notes and transcript available at statehumanities.org/podcast [https://www.statehumanities.org/podcast/].

Higher Education for All

Illinois Humanities believes education is liberatory and should be accessible to all. That belief led them, 25 years ago, to partner with The Clemente Course in the Humanities to offer free college courses to low-income adults in the Chicago area through a program called the Odyssey Project or Proyecto Odisea. In this episode, learn more about this program and how it changes lives. Our guests are Dulce Maria Diaz (Odyssey Project alumnus), Dr. Rebecca Amato (Director of Teaching and Learning, Illinois Humanities), and Dr. Aaron Rosen (Executive Director, The Clemente Course in the Humanities). Transcript and show notes available at statehumanities.org/podcast [http://www.statehumanities.org/podcast].

Poetry in the Great Outdoors

Does reading poetry make the world a better place? Are poetry readings better in the great outdoors? Every summer, Vermont Humanities hold a series of poetry readings in Vermont state parks called Words in the Woods, which connects participants with the state’s natural resources and its living literary legacy. Dive into the relevance of poetry in our modern world, the relationship between nature and poetry, and the importance of supporting living poets in this conversation featuring Jacob Pelletier, Community Programs Officer at Vermont Humanities, and Bianca Stone, Vermont Poet Laureate (and past Words in the Woods speaker).  Transcripts, photos, and related content available at statehumanities.org/podcast [https://www.statehumanities.org/podcast/].

Empowering Teen Leaders

It’s true that youth are the future, but we have to give them the tools and skills to make it a good one. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at two programs using the humanities and public libraries to inspire and empower teens to speak up and play an active role in their communities. In Montana, the Democracy Project from Humanities Montana brings teens together via their local library to learn about civics and design a project to meet a need in their community. In Pennsylvania, PA Humanities’ Youth Led Humanities provides funding and support to libraries for humanities clubs and projects that let teens take the lead. Both these programs aim to give teens opportunities to lead, find their voice, and understand how much power they have to tackle problems and make positive change in their schools and communities. Transcripts, photos, and related content available at statehumanities.org/podcast [https://www.statehumanities.org/podcast/].