Kentucky Folkweb
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Education
An integral part of the mission of folklorists in Kentucky is outreach. Outreach in communities schools, and universities. Through a combination of the Community Scholars Program, the Folklife in the Schools movement, and Western Kentucky University's nationally recognized Folk Studies Department, there are many easily accessible opportunities to incorporate folklife into your own personal or professional education experience.
The Kentucky Folklife Program has constructed the Teacher's Folklife Guide to Kentucky Folklife (see sidebar) which contains lesson plans and teacher's resources to bringing folklife into the classroom. The manual is geared mainly towards elementary students, but is adaptable for middle school and high school classrooms.
By clicking on Folklife Articles you will find a collection of comprehensive essays dealing with aspects of folklore and the discovery of folklife in varying areas and outlets of the state. Educators may find these useful when examining and presenting specific topics in the classroom. Articles range from yard art to rural life, Bluegrass to barbeque.
Educators interested in presenting folklife in the classroom may have range of knowledge of what folklife is, but the What is Folklife section explains the concept in practical examples and contextual explanations.
For those interested in what Western Kentucky University's Folk Study and Anthropology Department are doing, click on WKU Folk Studies M.A. Graduate students in this program are constantly working with various communities in Kentucky to document living traditions. If you are interested in studying folk studies as a degree in higher education, it is a challenging and rewarding program with national recognition in the field of folklore.
