Help Identify Important Places in Columbus

CSU and CVCC students will be working together this spring on a map and heritage tour for visitors along the new MLK Jr. Outdoor Learning Trail. Geography and graphic arts professors Amanda Rees (CSU) and Chuck Lawson (CVCC) couldn't say no to this exciting opportunity. From the Antebellum era to the present, students will wield both words and images together to share stories of African-American life in Columbus. They will be using an innovative approach that draws on a community workshop to engage a broad constituency as co-authors to identify important sites to tell a powerful and authentic local story.

The two classes are both excited and a little apprehensive to be working together as they've never met. CSU's geography and public history students will conduct research, talk with residents, and read theories about effective historical interpretation. CVCC's graphic design students will draw together image and words and develop soft skills to engage effectively with their community partners to present an engaging and powerful map. In combining the stories shared by residents and the skills of two classes, students and faculty look forward to presenting a remarkable history. Students are motivated to see their work help realize the mission of the Turn Around Columbus which has led the effort to create the trail. Tourism research indicates that heritage tourists demand an authentic and powerful experience, and they typically spend more than other types of tourist. Tourism isn't always about large volumes of visitors, its about attracting the type of visitors who value and honor your heritage.

Folks in the community have head about this project and this week students were invited to the Georgia Trail Summit in April to be hosted in Columbus. They've been asked to reflect on the process and the challenges they faced in a student panel. In attending the summit, we hope students will also hear from other practitioners in the field and find out more about public history and interpretive history careers. In addition, we also hope to encourage community organizations to reach out to their local educational institutions and work together on real-world projects. Its rare to be able to involve students in an impactful project and have the opportunity to share their experiences in a professional setting, all in one semester.