Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street

Here's a sneak peek at our next special episode! Give a listen to the voices and the work of the next generation of rural Americans learning about their communities. Young people living in rural Ameri...

13 Mar 20241min

You've got to have friends! Personal and professional connections are critical to the development of healthy communities, whether they are rural or urban. In this final episode of our Spark! series, w...

28 Feb 202435min

In this episode, we're taking a closer look at two very different rural communities that embody technological innovation. In Taos, New Mexico, solar energy is used to power high-speed internet and a j...

14 Feb 202433min

Rural America is full of places of innovation--towns where people work together to conceive new ideas and spark engagement by the community to implement them. Journey with us in this first episode in ...

31 Jan 202433min

For many years, the conventional wisdom in the United States has been that rural America is hurting: facing impacts from outmigration, aging populations, and declining economies. The reality is remark...

17 Jan 20242min

We're excited to share an episode from our host Hannah Hethmon's podcast Museums in Strange Places. Back in 2019, Museums in Strange Places featured the amazing work of the Smithsonian's state and loc...

29 Nov 202340min

Apologies friends! This pod is the actual episode titled "My Vote, My Voice," which should have been originally posted back in October. "The Greater Good: Everyday Democracy" was actually uploaded. We...

15 Nov 202332min

What civic responsibilities do we have as Americans? What do we owe to the process of democracy? What is the best way to voice our opinions and shape national and local policy? If we want to give back...

1 Nov 202328min