Day 9: Fifth and Final Falmouth Field School Reflection (by Claire)
"Hi, my name is Claire. I am a high school student from the United States. My school comes here every year to partner with Falmouth Heritage Renewal and I'm wondering if you could help me with my project."
Over my four years and five visits, a collective 50 days, in Falmouth I have used this introduction, or one like it, certainly over 1,000 times. This short introduction along with my Post Oak Falmouth Field School t-shirt have opened doors for thousands of meaningful interactions with locals and opportunities for conversation and insight into the nuances of daily life here in Falmouth.
In discussing the culmination of our city study survey we talked about the importance of benefiting the local community through our efforts. This can be tricky considering that sociological work does not always have a clear cut, tangible result, unlike the restoration and archaeology projects we work on while we're here. To do this we talked about identifying a theme, perhaps, needs relating to water, while keeping in mind an ultimate goal of community impact. This could be achieved by forging strong connections with a few families in order to better understand their situation and gather information relating to our work while working to aid in their meeting of the needs identified. This is a way we can combine the idea of sociological work that benefits both our educational motives and providing an ultimate benefit for members of the community.
This shift in direction from data collection to collective effort and benefit on both sides is exciting to see. My time spent in Falmouth has therefore been beneficial to me in more ways than one, connection to a different culture, delicious food, and resume additions, just to name a few. Even still, the most exciting part, for me, is the opportunity to watch this program, which I love so much, grow and become more connected to the beautiful community we get to experience in Falmouth each year.
Over my four years and five visits, a collective 50 days, in Falmouth I have used this introduction, or one like it, certainly over 1,000 times. This short introduction along with my Post Oak Falmouth Field School t-shirt have opened doors for thousands of meaningful interactions with locals and opportunities for conversation and insight into the nuances of daily life here in Falmouth.
In discussing the culmination of our city study survey we talked about the importance of benefiting the local community through our efforts. This can be tricky considering that sociological work does not always have a clear cut, tangible result, unlike the restoration and archaeology projects we work on while we're here. To do this we talked about identifying a theme, perhaps, needs relating to water, while keeping in mind an ultimate goal of community impact. This could be achieved by forging strong connections with a few families in order to better understand their situation and gather information relating to our work while working to aid in their meeting of the needs identified. This is a way we can combine the idea of sociological work that benefits both our educational motives and providing an ultimate benefit for members of the community.
This shift in direction from data collection to collective effort and benefit on both sides is exciting to see. My time spent in Falmouth has therefore been beneficial to me in more ways than one, connection to a different culture, delicious food, and resume additions, just to name a few. Even still, the most exciting part, for me, is the opportunity to watch this program, which I love so much, grow and become more connected to the beautiful community we get to experience in Falmouth each year.
I’m glad to see the culmination of your work and see you grow as your visits to Falmouth come to an end. I hope your last time was just as incredible as the first!
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