In the fall of 2013, two recent college graduates and one current college student came to the Smithsonian for a unique internship program, the Freedom School program. In this program, the interns received training in interviewing and moderation for challenging conversations from staff from the Search for Common Ground, a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC devoted to promoting dialogue on race; took behind-the-scenes tours and had conversations with curators; participated in a weekly discussion session on civil rights history with Museum education staff; visited local museums and historic sites to learn about civil rights history; and interviewed veterans of the movement. The capstone of their internship was serving as hosts for the National Youth Summit on Freedom Summer.
Harry Clarke is a 2013 graduate of the University of Mississippi and was the social media lead for the Freedom School program.
Joy Lyman is a 2013 graduate of the University of Michigan and was the K-12 lead for the Freedom School program.
Nicholas Nchamukong is a history major at the University of California, Irvine, class of 2015, and was the audio/visual lead for the Freedom School program.