Southern Ohio Folklife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 2020. We’re a new organization that is looking to establish connections and grow our mission in place in southern Ohio. Here’s a sketch of what we’re up to!

Our Goals

• Incorporate Southern Ohio Folklife (SOF) and establish a diverse, visionary Board of Trustees and Advisory Committee that will guide the organization in our pursuit of equitable and inclusive folklife documentation and programming. Build infrastructure and branding that align with our mission.

• Build relationships across the southern Ohio region, collaborating with other organizations, initiatives, and individuals with aligned missions.

• Create the Southern Ohio Folklife Network in order to connect folklife activity.

• Collaborate with southern Ohioans to research, reflect on and share everyday practices, folklife documentation, and practices of centering local knowledge. Especially engage youth and new professionals in place-based inquiry in order to contribute to the changing narrative and landscape of the region.

• Host workshops and events featuring folklife training and advocacy in order to share and refine methods and practices. Connect southern Ohio to other orgs, initiatives, and individuals. Offer workshops and events that directly respond to emerging questions, issues, and needs in order to center participatory social change methods.

• Develop public content to makes our work accessible to southern Ohioans and the world.

• Establish the SOF Field School based on collaborative, participatory, and community-based methods. Create a solid yet iterative structure that continues to refine over time. Provide opportunities for residents and scholars to learn and practice collaborative ethnography in southern Ohio and to contribute to the SOF Archives.

• Create the SOF Archive and produce educational and advocacy materials that will contribute to important regional questions, desires, and issues.