Forthcoming Essay

Archives Alive: Museum-School Partnerships for Middle Schoolers' Connections to History, Community, and Self

by Devin Winter

Abstract

Connecting students with localized stories of the past and present through a museum-school partnership may provide a valuable space for students to build cultural understanding and foster meaningful relationships with one another and the community, in ways that are responsive to adolescent needs. This essay offers a review of literature on museum–school partnerships, highlighting key themes such as the ways relevant and authentic curriculum can positively impact student engagement and content knowledge. It also draws on ongoing curriculum development at a local New England history museum, where students analyze the archives of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, two women who lived openly as a same-sex couple in the early nineteenth century. This case illustrates how such partnerships can surface lesser-known histories and prompt students to engage with present-day issues of identity, inclusion, and community. Finally, the essay examines how other intersecting identities may be understood using Ladson-Billings’ theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.