Elkins, West Virginia has the unique distinction of being home to many musicians who play traditional Appalachian “old time” music. Elkins is also home of the Augusta Heritage Center, a non-profit organization that began conducting music, crafts and dance workshops as well as concerts, dances and audio and video documentation beginning in 1973 and celebrating its fiftieth year in 2023. AmeriCorps Member Josh Wanstreet is helping Augusta preserve traditions through archives, music lessons, and more.

“This year as an AmeriCorps member has been one full of learning. I have experienced much of what I expected and an equal amount of things I did not expect, but am endlessly grateful for. One experience I anticipated with enthusiasm was the opportunity to work hands-on with an exhibit at the Randolph County Museum. As with any new job, however, crafting a museum exhibit, especially for the first time, can be an intimidating task.”

History and memory are intertwined. For a place such as Camp Pioneer, this is certainly true. Though I came to Camp Pioneer with little knowledge of what the 4-H experience offered, I can say that of the stories I’ve come across so far, 4-H Camp is one of the most memorable parts of that experience.

When I first arrived at Camp Pioneer to start my service, I remember the stacks of 4-H Camp group photos being among the first things to greet me in my new office space. They’d been framed by the previous AmeriCorps member and awaited their return to the walls of the main building for display. They had been displayed improperly before, prompting a need for a new display. This was a project I’d become a part of very soon, but not one I yet realized I’d help complete.