In this panel, four experiences in community education outreach will be explored. Over the summer, students interned with public libraries, museums, and music education groups. The presentations explore common threads within these experiences; the interactions between community-centered organizations and the people they serve, the processes of exhibit curation, and diversity and equity initiatives within these organizations. From working with a children’s orchestra, creating educational displays on historical women’s fashion, to organizing and auditing various diverse library collections, the panelists will discuss the benefits and challenges of their summer positions, as well as the research, work experience, and overall takeaways from these opportunities.

Moderator: Marcella Runnell, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students

Diversity Audits: Visualizing Community Resource Gaps
Charlie Watts ’25, English major

Finding your way in the Archives
Oakley Marton ’25, Gender studies major, Nexus in Education & Museums

Education and Community Engagement through the Arts
Ryan Heller ’27, Arts Admininstration major, Educational Policy & Economics minor

Stitching Together History: Women’s Fashion and Public Engagement at a Historic Estate
Sarah Toole ’26, History major & Russian Literature and Culture minor

Speaker name: Charlie Watts
Title: Diversity Audits: Visualizing Community Resource Gaps
This summer, I completed a diversity audit of over 5,500 children’s books at my local public library. This entailed analyzing both the authors and main characters of materials ranging from picture books to tween offerings. I produced a comprehensive analysis of the collection’s racial, queer, and disability representation. This process allowed for the production of a purchase suggestion list, designed to help close the gaps in the library’s offerings and better serve the diverse community of Windsor, Connecticut. Through this audit, I was also able to visualize the systematic racism prevalent in the publishing industry, and what happens when certain people are more often given the opportunity to share their stories. The hope is that the findings of this audit can help push towards a world where all children can find books that they see themselves in.

Speaker name: Oakley Marton
Title: Finding your way in the Archives
Oakley Marton ’25 reflects on their summer internship at Gerber Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archive, where they were an archival intern this summer in their hometown Chicago. We will explore initial experiences working in a small nonprofit, doing community outreach work, the day to day of a museum. They also completed an online exhibit from their exploration of the archives poster collection, focusing their work ultimately on the history of censorship of queer affirming PSAs on public transit during the AIDS crisis.

Speaker name: Ryan Heller
Title: Education and Community Engagement through the Arts
“This summer, I served as the Education and Community Engagement Coordinator for the Pacific Symphony. My primary focus was on the Symphony in the City concerts, which are free outdoor events designed to engage the local community of Orange County and provide an accessible way to experience symphonic music. In my role, I contributed to the creation of the “Musical Playground,” which offers educational activities for children and families before each concert. Through my work, I gained experience in community engagement, learning what worked and what didn’t after each concert. Each event presented its own challenges, which enhanced my adaptability. I had the privilege of gaining insight into the behind-the-scenes aspects of event production and the necessary coordination among departments to make projects possible. This experience provided me with a strong foundation in developing educational programs in the arts.”

Speaker name: Sarah Toole
Title: Stitching Together History: Women’s Fashion and Public Engagement at a Historic Estate
This summer, I interned at Gore Place, a historic 1806 estate in Waltham, Massachusetts. Drawing on my prior knowledge and research into the museum’s collection, I created a display for the local public library, showcasing the story of women’s fashion during the Federal period in New England. The display featured three hand-sewn, historically accurate pieces I made myself. I also gained valuable experience in museum programming by collaborating on plans for various events, including a Jane Austen-inspired ball scheduled for February, a Halloween “spooky stories” program, and an embroidery workshop we held in August. These experiences taught me how to effectively structure my workday, particularly when conducting independent research.