Kalorama Park, in Northwest, Washington, D.C, was the subject for the inaugural D.C. Archaeology Month poster for 2024, spearheaded by Archaeology in the Community. Park investigations have provided information about the 19th century Little Estate, the family that resided there and including the formerly enslaved. In particular, the young Hortense Prout, who attempted to escape enslaved life during the Civil War. The National Register-listed site offers entry into conversations about the Civil War-era landscape of Washington, slavery in the Nation’s Capital, family life, and site stewardship. The Little family would preside over their estate for over half a century; no less than three generations of the Prout family made this their home. The site has been an inspiration: the neighborhood has become fierce stewards and it’s the focus of AITC’s open access curriculum. This paper presents the archaeology of Kalorama Park and discusses how the site continues to inspire.

For seven years, Archaeology in the Community (AITC) has contributed to Community Archaeology on the island of St. Croix. Collaborating with several local and international partners, students from St. Croix were able to learn about and contribute to the preservation and understanding of local history. This paper presents how students were integrated throughout the archaeological process at the Little Princess Plantation Property. During this program, the engagement of students in discussions about archaeological concepts, and possibilities within the field of archaeology was paramount. This paper also explores student learning outcomes following the combination of education in the classroom, in the field, and in the lab. It highlights successes and difficulties with youth integration and local engagement and the importance of community collaboration.

Archaeology in the Community's (AITC) Young Archaeologists' Club (YAC) presents a free opportunity to introduce elementary school-aged children to the process of, and concepts used in, archaeology through interactive lessons. These lessons provide a vehicle to discuss a variety of topics specific to archaeology as well as a variety of STEM concepts and skills. This paper will discuss the YAC program from the perspectives of both the students and the instructors to provide a snapshot of the program and the benefits it provides. Science communication and outreach continue to be areas in the field that need more attention and the lessons learned from the YAC program can provide valuable insight and information in developing those skills.

In 2016, Archaeology in the Community and The Montpelier Archaeology Department established a partnership to host a week-long teacher education program. The program was designed to bring 15 teachers to Montpelier to participate in active archaeological research through the Montpelier Archaeology Expedition Program, while spending afternoons working with AITC on how to translate their experience in the field into classroom activities. Aside from the pandemic year, the program ran every year from 2016 until 2023, educating over 75 teachers. More importantly, those teachers have gone on to use these experiences to provide educational experiences with their students and colleagues. This paper will discuss the successes and challenges of building and implementing the program, and how this unique partnership has helped both organizations advance their institutional missions.

Amidst the preservation crisis endangering Black cemeteries and other sites of heritage, it is important for archaeologists and cultural heritage practitioners to make archaeology accessible for community members, especially in community-focused projects. Key to the goal of such community-based projects is the empowerment of the community on an individual and group level. Through the use of digital systems like the ArcGIS-based workflow developed to document historic cemeteries, communities can be educated, included, and empowered to protect and interact with their cultural heritage which has been left vulnerable by structural inequality. This paper will explore these topics through a project in Africatown, Alabama, where archaeologists worked to serve as facilitators of accessible tools and training through public engagement to empower communities to support their own heritage spaces.

In 2021, Archaeology in the Community (AITC) and the American Society for Overseas Research (ASOR) partnered to create an archaeology-based curriculum that would fill the curricular void in ancient African history in public schooling, bridge the knowledge gap in Nubian Studies research between academics and students, and foster positive identity construction among Black and Brown students. This partnership resulted in what is now Ancient Nubia: Pre-Kerma – The Kingdoms of Kush – an introductory yet comprehensive curricular unit on Ancient Nubia consisting of two, roughly twenty-minute videos and three interactive lesson plans that educate students on the rich history and archaeological heritage of ancient Kush. Sydney A. Pickens, Curriculum Developer for Archaeology in the Community, will give a presentation on the development of and future plans for the curriculum.