The 2018 Fellowship is underway!

On January 25, 2017 the new 2018 Smithsonian Faculty Fellows met for the first time. They were greeted by Sara Ducey, Director, Paul Peck Humanities Institute who welcomed them to the program. Following introductions by each of the Fellows, Mimi Mann, SFF Coordinator, and Denise Dewhurst, SFF Co-coordinator, talked about the Fellowship, outlining the program, the museum visits, and the various responsibilities each Fellow has as a member of the program. Fellows received their handbooks, as well as tote bags, lanyards, thumb drives and other “swag” as part of their welcome.

Our theme for the year, “We the People: America’s Grand and Radical Experiment with Democracy” drew a robust pool of applicants, and the selection committee had a challenging task of determining the group who would become the 2018 SFF Cohort. It was clear from this first meeting that the new Fellows are passionate about the work they do with their students, excited about being part of the fellowship and eager to get started.

The first month of weekly meetings will be spent exploring our theme, learning about the Smithsonian Digital Learning Lab and how it may be used in the classroom, how to approach the museum experience and will end with attending the SFF 2017 Showcase, with museum seminars beginning on March 1.