Democracy in Dialogue: Food for Thought

Discussions in democracy around the dinner table

Program will resume in 2027

Living History Farms is proud to partner with the Smithsonian once again in this unique cultural storytelling project!

The United States has been called a “melting pot,” which suggests that immigrants assimilate into a distinctly “American” culture. Is America truly a “melting pot?” A “salad bowl”? A “hearty stew”? Something altogether different? These are questions that students will address.

Who is eligible?

Youth ages 14–18, grades 9–12, including homeschool students

What will I gain?

• Expertise in critical thinking and historical research

• Knowledge of new places through sharing stories with other youth across the country

• Connection with others in the community who share interest in history, citizenship, civics and museums

• Certificate from the Smithsonian

• Family membership to Living History Farms

• Credit for service hours*

What is “the dinner table”?

It’s where we come together to eat: at home, in school, at a restaurant, on a picnic, in the car—wherever!

*Check with your school to verify eligibility

Details

The Smithsonian’s Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange brings together youth across the nation through local cultural organizations and schools to engage in a virtual exchange model investigating the question: “How has your community played a role in 250 years of the American experiment?” Smithsonian experts provide learning resources to support the work of the museums and schools as they design and lead collaborative place-based activities with their students.

A critical component of Democracy in Dialogue is direct participation by students. Each student will create a multimedia project that tells the story of their community to share locally and in the virtual exchange. These student-to-student interactions will be facilitated through supervised videoconferencing sessions. We see tremendous potential in these sessions to build new connections across diverse settings, to pique curiosity in others, and to grow and deepen empathy in ourselves, all essential civic dispositions.

A few activities associated with Democracy in Dialogue require parental consent. These are covered in the application:
• Media release for use of photographs and/or video by the Smithsonian and by Living History Farms
• Submission of final projects to the Smithsonian for possible use on Smithsonian’s and Living History Farms’ websites and social media platforms, and for other standard museum purposes

For more information, please email Dan Jones at Living History Farms or the program’s instructional coaches, Ali McKersie or Jared Morris.