Beyond The Revolution

Learning to love the place you are can be both difficult and rewarding. Finding and building community in that space is equally important.  This episode we are joined by artists Wes Bruce and Ryan Shoemaker, the creative minds behind Conner Prairie's new artscape, Wellspring. We dive into what work went into making this immersive experience both a space to explore your own connections to Indiana.

In this moment of commemoration for America 250, how do the stories we tell now inspire future generations? What do we gain when we hear other people's stories? We are joined by Michelle Banks, a curator for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage's Folklife Center, a yearly festival on the National Mall. For America 250 the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is geographically bigger than ever with Smithsonian going out to different states around the country joining their community celebrations. 

We are told that history is important because it repeats itself or maybe that it rhymes and those who don't learn from it are doomed to repeat it. But history is much more than that. The Smithsonian is running a 250th program throughout this year called Making history, Making change. Where they send curators from their museums and culture centers to affiliates around the country. While Conner Prairie was Indiana's first Smithsonian Affiliate we have since been joined by the Indiana Historical Society so we put in a joint request for a curator that could speak to the revolutionary power of language. Casey and Regan's Podcast: https://indianahistory.org/explore/podcasts/unbound-a-collection-of-indiana-stories/

Our Guests: Henry Raab- Historic Trades Specialist Woodworker Abby Zepick- Collections and Registration Manager    Episode topic: Building Community - (Historic Trades/Objects)   Goals of the Episode:  Our second theme for America 250 is the building of community. It's that step after founding right? What comes next? How do we take this big idea of a country founded on these big democratic ideals and make it work on the ground - how do we build community with one another to make this work? Knowing what we do well here at Conner prairie my mind immediately turned to the physical spaces and objects we build right? Our houses, our schools, our community centers, and also the material culture that we are making that form our unique American identity. Our craftsmanship, our tools, etc. and then what are the choices we are making in what gets passed on our persevered for the next generation. this is a conversation I've been wanting to have on camera for a long time and like always we have two people perfect to have this conversation. Points of conversation:   How making something by hand makes it more meaningful Does everything you make have a purpose? How does that add to a community  

Welcome Back: Our guest is the Youth Engagement Manager for Made By Us and co-founder of Youth 250. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, a recipient of the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State, he serves on the Points of Light Board of Directors, and was the youngest appointee in Department of Commerce history through his service on the U.S. Census Bureau's 2030 Advisory Committee. Episode topic:  We the People - Youth250 We discuss: Origins and implementation of Youth250 Bureau, how to get involved, what the work looks like, the role of Gen Z, and the final call to action.  

Today, we discuss how unique culinary signatures and the feelings we associate with food helps us build a shared American identity. We're joined by - Kim McCann • Museum Experiences- Program Developer at Conner Prairie and Michelle Evans • Historic Trades- Textile Manager at Conner Prairie Food Map:  https://x.com/vintagemapstore/status/1979268709014261821?s=20  

Our guest: Katherine Blanchard : The Assistant Division Director of Professional Services, Smithsonian Science Education Center Episode topic: Intersection of Science and Community Building What we discuss: How does the Science Education Center fit into the rest of the Smithsonian? Why is it important to combine science and history? Multi-displinary Importance of community collaboration. Finding the places you CAN make change How do we move past the discovery phase into action? Why is it important to think about sustainability in relation to America 250 Connect to our Wish wall - You think about "what we want our shared future to be" Building a better (global future) future; beyond just the continental U.S. UN Sustainable development goals Smithsonian Science for Global Goal Guides Global goals - local connection Talk about how to engage people in STEM/ Sustainable development & Social issues Sustainability mindsets? Similar to Made by Us Civic Superhero (Nurturers, Connectors, Amplifiers, Defenders) NESST- connect science education community Building sustainable communities - connections to blue and green spaces  

In this episode, we: Introduce the theme "We the People" and how it is being used at Conner Prairie National picture of America 250. Who are the big players nationally and how are they looking at 250? AASLH, Made by Us, etc. How does that relate to our approach? A look back at the bicentennial and how this is shaped by previous commemorations.  

This episode serves as a series Introduction and exploring Indiana's Role in the America250 commemoration.