The "Louisiana Voices Folklife in Education Project" continues to be refined and adapted in response to its popularity among educators and students. Maida Owens announced that they have completed revisions of the "Fieldwork Basics" and "Defining Terms" units. In response to educators' requests for more structured guidance concerning defining folklife and teaching fieldwork, they have more fully articulated the process used during workshops.

Louisiana Voices Project Manager Eileen Engel developed "In the Wake of the Hurricanes," a hurricane unit for students to conduct research about the storm that is based on the Hurricane Research Coalition materials. The unit, for 5th grade and up, introduces fieldwork and learning about questions and interviewing. wrote, a unit for teachers to use in response to the hurricanes with students documenting hurricane experiences and stories. For more information, contact Eileen at edengel@att.net or Maida at mowens@crt.state.la.us. Web site: www.louisianavoices.org.

For additional information from Maida about happenings in Louisiana, click here.

Anne Pryor of the Wisconsin Folk Arts program announced that the rosemaler, Lois Mueller of Platteville, Wisconsin joins other regionally recognized traditional artists on Wisconsin Folks (arts.state.wi.us/static/folkdir/mueller1.htm), an educational website produced by the Wisconsin Arts Board. Lois Mueller is an award-winning rosemaler who first learned the art in 1977. A recognized expert, she has published six instructional books and has taught rosemaling courses throughout the US and Canada. She will travel to Taiwan in May 2006 to teach there. By being included in the Wisconsin Folks website, the Wisconsin Arts Board is recognizing Mueller as an outstanding traditional artist in her genre.

Anne and members of the Wisconsin Folk Arts Program staff also deserve special recognition as co-winners of this years Dorothy Howard Award for excellent in Folklife Education for "Wisconsin Weather Stories," a collaboration between the Wisconsin Arts Board and two divisions of the University of Wisconsin: the cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies and the Folklore Program.

Kirk A. Astroth, Director of the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, is co-winner of the 2005 Dorothy Howard Award. His project, “Spurrin’ the Words," embodies the principles Dorothy practiced herself in promoting the study of folklife in educational settings. This educational resource include a leader's guide and student workbook with an accompany CD to teach lessons on cowboy poetry and other aspects of western folklife. For information on ordering this resource, contact Kirk at (406) 994-5691 or kastroth@Montana.edu.

Joan Saverino, educational specialist for Philadelphia's Historical Society of Pennsylvania, has launched a Website (www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=11) with links that are of particular interest to folklorists.

“Exploring Diversity in Pennsylvania’s Ethnic History” teaches the story of the state’s ethnic diversity and immigration history. The site offers an opportunity for students to learn the complex task of critical analysis and historical interpretation by using primary sources from the HSP/Balch collection. Lessons are designed around four topical units -- settlement, work, community, and interethnic issues. Each lesson includes background information for teachers, primary sources, activities, a bibliography, a resource list, and web links to other sites.

“Pennsylvania’s New Immigrants” includes essays, exhibits, oral histories, lesson plans, and resource guides that focus on immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America who settled in Pennsylvania after 1965. For additional information, Joan can be contacted at (215) 732-6200, ext. 246.