Week Nine: The City of Debary's History Harvest

 Week Nine: The City of Debary's History Harvest

The History Harvest, July 8th, 2024

Following the 4th of July and half week break, our team jumped right back into our work and followed through with the City of Debary in helping them create their own history harvest. I cannot express how amazing the day was; Dozens of Debary citizens brought hundreds of artifacts for us to scan and many participated in oral histories, making it the most successful event we have had up to this point. Aside from the success of the event itself, I was able to manage and lead a History Harvest myself and gain firsthand experience that will be beneficial in creating the brochure!

The Community Historian: Retrospective

One of the main thoughts circulating my mind after the event is the true importance of the Community Historian. I cannot express enough how important the community members and the city council of Debary played in the outreach and resource gathering component of the event. Truthfully, without their outreach, the event would not have been as successful. They understood their role in our partnership, giving us an able opportunity to collect oral and material history. 
    It cannot be stated enough how important community involvement is to the heart and soul of the History Harvest model. I have been apart of History Harvests with very little turnout, mainly due to the lack of outreach and event promotion done in the community. Debary was not the same, however, exceeding every expectation. They thought of every detail; Media outlets gathered to interview and capture stories, space was provided for secure oral histories and community interaction with sources, and procedure was followed closely. 

Moving Forward: Plans and Future Ideas

The History Harvest will provide plenty of photos, documents, and videos to utilize in the creation of our brochure. After having finished one of my major tasks for the semester, the second and last task is commemorating the event by utilizing my knowledge gained through research and participating in the brochure. In the coming weeks, I hope to use what I've learnt and research to finalize the brochure and have it prepared for printing. I can truly say after this week that I am prepared to finalize my work for good. 


 

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