FEAA Annual Report 2023

“Stick your finger down into the ground and smell where you are! This is where the needs of the people are found, which can be different in different times and places.

Where this meets the abilities of the teacher, there lies the folk school’s calling.”

Ludwig Schroder, 1872

photo credit: John C Campbell Folk School

photo credit: Arbutus Folk School

FEAA supports education as a tool in working toward economic equality, workers’ rights, antiracism / sexism, environmental restoration and protection, as well as alternatives to environmental racism, militarism, and the weakening power of people’s voices in the face of unaccountable politicians and corporations.

The FEAA's commitment to this statement over the years has remained strong. As our capacity has grown, so has our reach and our ability to impact social change; however, we do not believe we have done enough, particularly concerning inclusion and elevation of BIPOC voices within the folk education movement.

We can and will do better! As we move into future phases of our work, we challenge ourselves and those we support to expand the reach of our work, include all those that reside and work within our communities, and make our centers of folk schooling and folk education ones where interethnic / intercultural, antiracist allegiances may be cultivated and thrive.

LETTER FROM FEAA PRESIDENT LETTER FROM FEAA PRESIDENT

In this Annual Report, you will find numerous goals the Folk Education Association of America (FEAA) achieved. Since the founding of the FEAA in 1976, the non-profit organization has supported the Folk School Movement through various means and growth. Despite the world challenges of 2023, I am pleased that the FEAA was able to continue these efforts by offering much-needed community engagement and support at new and rewarding levels.

and the “WA State Living Traditions Corps Planning,” co-facilitated by the Folk Education Association of America and the WA State Parks Folklore Program.

Much like the addition of The Folk School Alliance in 2014, new grantfunded projects have supported the continued expansion of new folk schools in the USA and Canada. Critical projects launched in 2023 include the “Singing in Community and Nurturing Local Song-Leaders,” facilitated by the Center for Belonging Folk School; “Bridging and Bonding,” co-facilitated by the John C Campbell Folk School and the Smithsonian’s African American Craft Initiative;

Numerous Folk Schools, organizations, staff, donors, and the FEAA Board of Directors have developed and supported these critical programs. I appreciate all the commitment and hard work that brought these projects to the “table.” Much like the activity around your dining table, the FEAA and Folk Schools work to bring people together through conversation, lifelong learning, and community engagement. Whether a young child experiences noncompetitive learning for the first time or a cultural bearer shares their knowledge with individuals eager to learn,

Folk Schools change

lives.

I am thankful for the many organizations and individuals that supported the FEAA in 2023 through program participation, memberships, or financial support. Suppose you are unfamiliar with Folk Schools or have had limited contact with the FEAA. In that case, I invite you to explore our mission of “promoting humanistic personal development, understanding of one's own and other's cultural diversity, and commitment to community growth.”

The FEAA has plenty of room at our table, so I invite you to join us by

supporting folk education and participating in our ongoing programs in 2024. In addition, I encourage you to explore the opportunities at the sixtyfive Folk Schools included on our website.

I wish you 2024.

Jerry Jackson

photo credit: Center for Belonging

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOLK SCHOOLS A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOLK SCHOOLS

The Folk School movement finds its roots in 19th century Denmark, with Nikolai Frederik Severin (NFS) Grundtvig whose vision for education is credited with supporting Denmark’s successful transition to democracy. Grundtvig was a philosopher, poet, theologian, educator, historian, composer of hymns, translator, and social critic. Education, however, was one of his primary concerns. He wanted education to instill a pride in national culture and a love of learning that would be lifelong. “Schools for Life” as Grundtvig called them were to assist people in understanding their own identity and to strengthen and empower communities.

2.) The principle of folkelighed, offers an alternative to nationalism. It is a form of patriotism that values culture and identity while emphasizing that other nations and cultures are equally as valued.

3.) Education should be for all aspects of life and lifelong.

4.) The movement that gave rise to folk schools was local, decentralized, and grassroots.

Steven Borish, a Grundtvig scholar, proposes four lessons that folk schools have to offer:

1.) Real education begins with the communication of a sense of personal mission and purpose, and the belief that everyone has the ability to acquire the skills and knowledge to accomplish that mission.

The United States is experiencing a resurgence of folk schools. In the last five years, many new folk schools have been founded. In this context, folk education offers the possibility of revisioning local life, culture, and social ecology.

The varied manifestations of Folk Schools in the U.S. today reflect a hope for making a transition from an unsustainable industrial society toward sustainable, post-modern societies.

Folk schools connect and build a myriad of community resources, and they capitalize on networking and collaboration at its finest. Folk schools can provide much needed enrichment and balance to public schools during an era of enormous pressure for academic and intellectual achievement.

Folk schools around the United States:

Offer a local, place-conscious educational experience.

Build collaborations and networks among diverse community groups and organizations. Build on local strengths.

Build appreciation of local culture and agriculture.

Encourage a recovery of local voice, empowerment and cultural memory.

Emphasize, dialogue, conversation, and relationships.

Offer the expression of an alternative educational paradigm, one that is collaborative, noncompetitive, experiential, and holistic.

Provide a context for diverse groups to come together for shared learning.

Provide a context for the presentation and discussion of local issues. Inspire local economic initiatives that support the local economy.

photo credit: Folk School Fairbanks

FOLK SCHOOLS IN AMERICA TODAY FOLK SCHOOLS IN AMERICA TODAY

member testimonial:

“The FEAA is to folk schools what a folk school is to its community The FEAA helps us feel more at home and connected in the small world of folk education. We appreciate the resources it offers & the opportunity to network and share successes and challenges with other small folk schools”

Lucy Soderstrom Ely Folk School, Ely, Minnesota elyfolkschool org

67 SCHOOLS

member testimonial:

150+ FEAA MEMBERS

“Please know how grateful I am to have had you and the FSA during my 5+ years at Shake Rag Alley especially during the 2020 pandemic months when

the CoP meetings were so therapeutic. Those meetings and the FSA peer dialogue were critical to helping me advise our Board on best practices for moving forward rather than shutting down - both literally and emotionally!”

Sarah

Lomasz Flesch former member of the Community of Practice

photo credit: Arbutus Folk School / Courtesy of Julie Stutzman

What does the FEAA do? What does the FEAA do?

01

EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Communities of Practice - group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or an interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals, and often focusing on sharing best practices and creating new knowledge. Interaction on an ongoing basis is an important part of this.

Folk School Alliance Community of Practice meetings are sponsored by the Folk Education Association of America and occur every month on the 4th Tuesday with the exception of July and December, when no meetings are held. Offered free of charge to members.

Educational Webinars - 2023 topics include ‘Understanding Grundtvig’ and Measuring Impact with Life.School.House.

Organizational Development Coaching with Dawn Jackman Murphy (offered free of charge to members)

02 PROMOTION

Partner podcast episodes in USA and Denmark

Sharing resources and network support via social media - Instagram and Facebook

Networking with like-minded organizations and publications, including Church and Life, The Bridge, Midwest Living, and Craftsmanship Quarterly.

Distribution of brand new posters and rack cards (rack card shown on right)

Online store with t-shirts, books, stickers, and more!

03 RESEARCH

Folk Education Network Participatory Action

Research Grant, funded by AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation (more information on page 10)

Living Traditions Corps AmeriCorps Planning Grant 05 IN-PERSON CONVENINGS 04 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Co-conspiration with several international organizations, including the Grundtvig Forum, Global Network for Folkhighschool Research, Bildung Network, and the Association for World Education

photo credit: North House Folk School

photo credit: Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts

FOLK EDUCATION NETWORK PROJECT

01

SINGING IN COMMUNITY AND NURTURING LOCAL SONGLEADERS

Throughout 2024, the Center for Belonging Folk School will host and facilitate a series of community singing leadership and listening experiences! These experiences will provide valuable insights, resources, and practical techniques to integrate the power of song into folk schools. We hope that this project seeds an expansion of community singing through folk schools. Interweaving song into the daily rhythms of folk schools; Creating belonging and well being through song; Supporting communities to better cooperate across differences; and Ensuring song leaders and singing have a place in folk schools.

02

BRIDGING AND BONDING: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN CRAFT ALLIANCE AND JOHN C CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

The Bridging and Bonding collaboration aims to increase access, opportunity, and visibility for African American craft artists at the John C. Campbell Folk School (JCCFS) and beyond. JCCFS and the new African American Craft Alliance (launched in 2020 as the Smithsonian’s African American Craft Initiative), will work together to develop a scalable and replicable model for equity and inclusion at folk schools through community building and learning exchange opportunities, culminating in a large-scale convening at JCCFS in 2025. Over the course of the project, activities and resources will be developed to improve social cohesion and collaboration within the folk schools and beyond, leveraging a community-based approach to sustainable change.

03

LIVING TRADITIONS CORPS: A WASHINGTON STATE FOLK

SCHOOLING AMERICORPS PROGRAM PLANNING PROCESS

During 2023-24, the Folk Education Network is partnering with AmeriCorps, Washington State Parks, and other partners to develop a Folk School-like model for civic engagement. The goal is to reduce rural isolation and increases community health through building connections and networking resources. This planning grant, funded by AmeriCorps, will develop a three-year operation grant proposal to identify and connect sites, partners, needs, and AmeriCorps members to hold community gatherings, and develop and expand a replicable model that can be used in other states with a variety of partners.

2023 HIGHLIGHTS 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

FEN Grant Convening at John C. Campbell Folk School, September 2023

Community of Practice attendance rose by 76.47%

$4,050 WORTH OF ORGANIZATIONAL COACHING SERVICES OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE TO MEMBERS IN 2023, WE GAVE

27 hours OF COACHING WITH 23 groups

January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023

$155,917 $1,500 $810 $1,121 $159,783 $105,368 $54,538 $966 $160,872 (-$1,089)

BOARD AND STAFF BOARD AND STAFF

Jerry Jackson President

Sylvia S. Bagley Vice President

Kerri Hamos Treasurer

Kirsten Skoglund Secretary

Mary Cattani Board Member

Dawn Jackman Murphy Board Member/Programs Director

Jennifer Rose Escobar Board Member

Terri Van Orman Board Member

Regina H. Jennings Board Member

Devon Lee Board Member

Mari Sanborn FEN Grant Program Coordinator

Annamary Fitzgerald Living Traditions Corps Project Manager

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING MEMBERS

Marine Mills Folk School

Frank Hamilton School

Happiness Hills Farm

Avon Hills Folk School

Folk School of Fayetteville

Folk Horizons Folk School

The Folk School, Fairbanks

Honeybee Folk School

Okanagan Folk School

Handy Village Institute

Tarweed Folk School

Porcupine Mountain Folk School

Finnish American Folk School

Ms. Caitlin’s School of Blacksmithing

Center for Belonging Folk School

Ely Folk School

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS

Pat Gooding, Jessa Front, Greg Wright, Jeffrey Sheldon, Cynthia Taylor, David and Jane Rasmussen, Jerry Jackson, and Kerri Hamos

THANK YOU THANK YOU

The Folk Education Association of America is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

The Folk Education Association of America identifies, supports, and facilitates community-based, learner-led education as a strategic tool for community organizing.

Regular monthly donations reinforce our work, and with your support, we can continue to promote, provide resources and support, and connect folk educators and folk schools across America Please consider supporting our mission with either a onetime gift or a continuing, monthly donation.

If you would like to discuss the impact your gift can have, please email Dawn Murphy at dawn@folkschoolalliance.org.

photo credit: Ely Folk School

photo credit: marine mills folk school, courtesy of Molly Sanford @RepairMinnesota

RESOURCES RESOURCES

Borish, S. (1991). Land of the living: Danish folk high schools and Denmark’s nonviolent path to modernization. Nevada City, CA: Blue Dolphin.

Vicky Eiben, Ed D (Spring 2015) A Brief History of Folk Schools

Creating Communities of Practice - Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium

Folk Schools pictured in report:

John C. Campbell Folk School, NC

Center for Belonging Folk School, IA

Ely Folk School, MN

Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts, TN

North House Folk School, MN

Olive’s Porch, NC

Marine Mills Folk School, MN

Folk School Fairbanks, AK

Arbutus Folk School, WA

Report compilation and layout Mari Sanborn

photo credit: Olive’s Porch