Kansas Humanities Council Supports Youth Historian Workshop

The Santa Fe Trail Center is pleased to announce that the Kansas Humanities Council has awarded the Trail Center a grant to support the museum's summer Youth Historian Workshop. Taking place July 11-15, 2007 the workshop promises to be a fun and educational event for everyone.

This unique program will introduce young historians grades 5 thru 8 to the process of acquiring artifacts, the importance of provenance (the history of an object), and relate how scholars use material culture to understand the past.

Scholar/Performers Ann Birney and Joyce Thierer of Ride into History will conduct the 5 day event. The first three days workshop participants will gain an understanding of first person interpretation, learn what makes a good story, research a museum artifact and its provenance, and create a skit related to that artifact. The evening of the third day and continuing through the rest of the workshop participants will make history come alive as they perform their skits during special Night at the Santa Fe Trail Center Museum tours.

Tours are open to the public and will be given at 5:30pm, 6:15pm, and 7pm on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14. Sunday, July 15 only one tour will be given at 1pm. All tours will be followed by a brief reception. Tours are $2 for 16 and over-15 and below are free. Space is limited so advance reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (620)285-2054.

If you would like further information about this event please call Becca Hiller at (620) 285-2054 or email curator@santafetrailcenter.org.

This program is funded in part by the Kansas Humanities Council, a nonprofit cultural organization promoting understanding of the history, traditions, and ideas that shape our lives and build community.

Golden Belt Community Foundation Awards Trail Center with a Spring 2007 Grant

The Santa Fe Trail Center is pleased to announce that the museum is a Spring 2007 Golden Belt Community Foundation grant recipient.  The grant for $1687 is made possible through Kansas Health Foundation funds for the health and well being of children and will be used to purchase a laptop computer and digital projector. 

Joe Simmons, a Golden Belt Community Foundation board member attended the monthly Fort Larned Historical Society Board of Directors meeting Monday, June 11, 2007 to present the grant check to Larry Carr, President of the board and Becca Hiller, curator and author of the grant request. 

The laptop computer and digital projector will be used to produce dynamic educational programs that can be taken out into the community and presented to schools, area organizations, county fairs, professional conferences and more.  In addition, staff members can enhance in house programs that are given to school tour groups and offer more technology to guest speakers. 

Schools and civic organizations are encouraged to contact the Trail Center if they would be interested in having a program presented to them. Programs can be booked by calling (620) 285-2054. 

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