Folkaid: Healing and Healers
Photo credit: Susannah Broun '22 - Philadelphia Folklore Project (Lang Center)
During summer 2020 Susannah Broun '22 received a Social Impact Summer Scholarship to intern with the Philadelphia Folklore Project, where she developed, wrote, and produced a podcast titled FolkAid: Healing and Healers. This podcast aims to expand one's understanding of health and healing practices through the lens of folklore. The program highlights how community endurance and social-emotional wellness can be built and nurtured during a public health crisis while also delving into healing rituals, medicinal plants, and recipes from various cultural traditions.
Susannah shared:
An important part about Engaged Scholarship is the element of community building. By taking the knowledge from classroom settings and bringing it into real-world applications one is able to connect with other passionate people. At Swarthmore, being an Engaged Scholar has meant that the conversations don't stay in the classroom– we are taught to take what we have learned and share it through projects and by expanding our networks beyond the school. This summer I was able to take my academic interests and apply them in a way that allowed me to interact with and learn from a variety of fascinating people in the fields that I am interested in pursuing. Through Engaged Scholarship, my community has been expanded in an informative, impactful, and necessary way.
