Inspiration for Project

“Steps” by Manierre Dawson (1907)

In 2025, I had the opportunity to complete a faculty fellowship at Montgomery College’s Paul Peck Humanities Institution with the Smithsonian Museum. During this year-long fellowship, my cohort and I met with Smithsonian educators, curators, and researchers to learn more about how to bring object-based learning and museum spaces into our classrooms.

The time of this fellowship was also marked by significant political interruption. The Smithsonian museums were temporarily closed during a government shutdown and unnecessarily attacked for their collection of displays and artifacts by the sitting U.S. president. The National Guard occupied the streets, and students feared the presence of immigration officials during their visits to D.C. These disruptions culminated in a shift of perspective for me about the fellowship. This project is about connection. It’s about building a bridge between classroom and museum spaces that is inclusive and educational, but in this political climate, it is also about resistance. Somewhere along the way, I became convinced of something I’ve always known: we must utilize all educational support beams we have in order to survive the changing tides.

I developed two projects for communication courses over the course of the fellowship. I knew I wanted to find ways that I could reimagine assignments and find new ways to get students out of their phones and into these spaces.

This little project you’ve stumbled on is a reflection of that work, and I hope you enjoy.

-Dr. Lane