The Forging Future Pathways Forward project is digitizing the Julius Rosenwald Fund archives to make them widely accessible through a dedicated online portal. This includes high-resolution scanning, metadata creation, and structured workflows to ensure accuracy, consistency, and long-term sustainability of the collection.

As Project Director, I guide the overall workflow, set standards for metadata selection, and lead the team through each stage of digitization. My role centers on balancing technical requirements with community and scholarly needs, ensuring that the digital collections are both discoverable and meaningful for researchers, educators, and the public.

A central goal of the Forging Future Pathways Forward project is building the Julius Rosenwald Digital Portal as an open, sustainable, and accessible resource. I led the planning for the project’s technical infrastructure, ensuring that the framework would support large-scale digitized collections and future collaborations. To achieve this, I brought on a lead software engineer and worked closely with our development team to align technical decisions with archival standards and community needs. Together, we built the portal and its documentation as fully open-source, guaranteeing transparency, adaptability, and long-term access for scholars, educators, and the public.

Community has been at the heart of the Forging Future Pathways Forward project from the start. Before digitization even began, we worked closely with Rosenwald School alumni, educators, and local communities to gather input, share updates, and ensure that the project reflected their voices. During the project, we continued that engagement through alumni convenings, workshops, and public programming designed to keep stakeholders informed and connected to the work. These efforts not only honored the lived experiences tied to Rosenwald Schools but also built a network of users and community members who will continue to shape and benefit from the digital portal long after its launch.