The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH)’s mission is to use culture as a tool for building understanding, strengthening communities and reinforcing the shared humanity of the human race. CFCH functions as a research center and educational subdivision of the Smithsonian Institution. CFCH prides itself on understanding and maintaining cultural heritage across the United States and the world. The Center is in charge of many different initiatives. These initiatives include the “Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the Cultural Vitality Program, exhibitions, documentary films and videos, symposia, publications, and educational materials.”  

Folklife Magazine, a digital platform, is one of the many publications managed by the Center. The magazine’s goal is to explore how culture shapes our lives by publishing stories about music, craft, language, celebrations, activism, and the individuals and communities who sustain these traditions.”  However, the magazine is having difficulties being utilized as an educational tool. As an intern, I am expected to work with the Center’s communications, editorial, and curatorial teams to review Folklife Magazine content in order to build out a series of new web pages or other digital tools to aggregate content for K-12 educational purposes. 

Objectives associated with my role include: 

• Reviewing and developing understanding of the Center’s existing cultural education resources. 
•  Deepening understanding of cultural heritage by engaging with content from a wide range of heritage practices and communities.
•  Gaining knowledge of the Center’s core work areas.
•  Developing relationships with colleagues from across the Center’s departments (expanding professional network).
•  Working on an interdisciplinary team of editors, content producers, curators, and collaborating partners.
•  Organizing existing content for K-12 educational purposes.
•  Working with the Center’s web content management system, laying out web pages utilizing HTML coding.
•  Building presentation skills by providing a brown bag presentation about work to the Center’s staff.

I was selected by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage because of my background as an educator. I have taught for five years and I have both a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Teaching. I currently teach 8th grade US History. As a result, I am assigned to assist in curating Folklife magazine into an educational tool. I am most excited about being able to receive firsthand experience in the development of content for the Smithsonian. Typically,  when I practice creating educational content I become more enthusiastic about teaching. I think it is due to the fact that I am able to be creative and experiment with different educational tools.