Local Learning:
The National Network for Folk Arts In Education

Connecting folklorists, artists, and educators since 1993

We are people-centered and process-driven

  • To be people-centered means that respect, connections, partnership, equity, and inclusion inform all our relationships and collaborations.
  • To be process-driven means that we work iteratively, with purposeful reciprocity and reflexivity built into our programs.

A resource for all

The Journal of Folklore and Education (ISSN 2573-2072) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published annually by Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education. It includes research, case studies, lesson plans, and learning activities written by teachers and practitioners. Our intended audience includes educators and students at all levels and in all settings, folk culture specialists, and those working in community-based organizations.

We Are Folklore Educators. Invite Us To Work With You.

For more than two decades, Local Learning’s team of folklore and folklife educators have been helping teachers and artists to develop enriching curricula for students of all ages. Find out how we can help you bring folk arts to life!

For Teachers

Our teacher training institutes and
workshops are great opportunities for
school districts and state agencies
looking to bring a cultural lens to
classroom learning.

For Artists

Your cultural knowledge matters. Our
artist training will amplify your voice and center the skills you most want to
share with learners of all ages.

Live in New York?

Our New York workshops are our test
kitchens for mixing up great recipes for
engagement and culturally affirming
practices.

Featured Resources

Activities. Research. Case Studies. Interview Guides. Find this and more in our resources.

Learning Activities and Lesson Plans

Craft custom searches and access
teacher tested activities to use in your
learning space.

Research and Reading

Find classic folklife education texts and
cutting-edge research and case studies
in our library.

Teaching Inquiry

HOW to do an interview, WHY to use
interviews as a part of one’s
curriculum, and WHAT can be done
with completed interviews.

Network News

2023 June News

2023 June News

Read our spring quarterly e-bulletin with updates about summer professional development, news from the field, and our reveal of the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan for Local Learning. Read it here!  

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New Job Posting from Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology

The University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology seeks a museum educator to develop and implement a variety of high-quality, engaging, and innovative educational and public programs that reflect the Museum’s mission, collections, and exhibitions. The programs...

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Announcing our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan

Announcing our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan

In 2019 the Local Learning board and staff met in Baltimore, MD, to think, work, and dream together as a part of a strategic planning process. We drafted a three-year plan that shaped the dynamic ways that Local Learning could strategically continue to nurture and...

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Local Learning: Bringing a cultural lens to complex subjects since 1993