Spring 2025 Community Scholars Training Program to Be Held in Dardanelle

The next installment of the Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts Community Scholars Training Program - a free training opportunity for Arkansans interested in finding, documenting and presenting community culture, folklife and traditional arts - begins Feb. 13. This program consists of five in-person training sessions held every other Thursday through April 10. Participants are required to commit to the entire training series, and registration is required. Meetings will be held at the Arkansas River Valley Library.  

During the program, participants will develop ideas for a project to practice the skills learned. Participants will gain skills in documenting and researching culture, archiving and presenting research, and developing projects in collaboration with community stakeholders and organizations.  

"The Community Scholars Program sessions were enjoyable and informative to me in my role at the museum - especially the discussions on exhibit labels, oral interviewing techniques and digital content," said Mary Clark, a Spring 2022 Community Scholars Program alumna and board member of the Eddie Mae Herron Center in Pocahontas. "The instructors were extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and fun." 

"It's a privilege to spend time learning with community members as we share best practices for preserving community history and traditions," said Virginia Siegel, Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts Director. "This upcoming program in Dardanelle marks our twelfth iteration of this training series, and we are growing a truly inspiring group of Community Scholars program alumni across the state." 

This training opportunity is free and open to the public and hosted in collaboration with the McElroy House: Organization for Cultural Resources and the Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System. Visit folklife.uark.edu/scholar/ for more information and to register to attend. Contact Lauren Willette at willette@uark.edu or 479-575-4664 with questions or help 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, presenting and sustaining Arkansas' living traditional arts and cultural heritage.