Launched in 2021, Folk in Five has engaged 450+ students in Alabama folklife through family interviews and traditional artist presentations.

Each student interviews a family or community member about a tradition to make a 5-minute video, and each classroom receives a presentation from an Alabama traditional artist. Artists have included:

• Charles Smith (African pottery)

• Mary Margaret Pettway (Gee’s Bend quilting)

• Edy Aguilar (piñata making)

• Jason Russell (duck decoy carving)

• Jason Burns (banjo making)

Folk in Five reveals how folklife is shaped by culture, geography, and history, and how family traditions are part of a broader Alabama story. Students learn to value traditional arts and artists, take pride in their family and community history, and honor cultural diversity.

K-12 Teachers and Traditional Artists in Alabama interested in participating: contact us at alabamafolklife@gmail.com.