2008 AASLH presentation about how OHS connects to communities through local history outreach.

2. Outreach Services @ OHS
• Partnerships (K-12 educational
institutions, colleges & universities, local
historical societies, museums, & archives)
• Connecting people (individuals & groups,
institutions, and resources)
• Highlighting local history as a lens
through which to view US history

3. “We’re local.”
Kids & Community History
The Near East Side Community
History Project

4. Partners
• Ohio Historical Society
• Columbus Metropolitan
Library
– MLK Jr. Branch
– Shepard Branch
• Columbus Public
Schools
– East Pilgrim Elementary
– Monroe Middle School

5. The Project
• $11,000 grant from the Ingram-
White Castle Foundation
• Focus on the history of the Mt.
Vernon Avenue area
• Students conduct ten oral
histories
• Students conduct local history
research
• Use this work to write text for five
historic markers

6. History of Mt. Vernon Avenue
• Predominately African-
American neighbor-
hood in Columbus
• Practically self-
sufficient
• Rich cultural heritage
• Community physically
cut-off after
construction of
interstate highway
system Main Shopping Districts Map, 1954

7. Phase One: Research
• Children’s Lit: A
Street Called
Home
• Analyzing primary
sources
• Conducting
research local
history research

8. Phase Two: Interviews
• Developing
questions
• Conducting
interviews
• 8th graders conduct
interviews (in pairs)
• 3rd graders conduct
a group interview

9. Phase Three: Markers
• Based on research
and oral histories, 8th
grade students pick 4
topics/locations for
markers and write text
• 3rd graders write text
for marker about their
school/education in
Columbus

10. Student Reflections
The [project] taught me [a lot]…I never knew that
Mt. Vernon was so historic.
Some of the buildings I saw in the…pictures were
the buildings I go by every day on my way to
school. Seeing their condition I had just brushed
them off as old buildings that needed to be torn
down, but now I realize that they need to be
preserved.
Sha’Dae Jones, 8th grader

11. Conclusion
• Transfer oral history
interviews to DVD
– Copies deposited at
the public libraries
and both school
libraries
• Marker dedication
ceremony
• Unveil walking tour

13. “That happened here?”
Connecting School & Community

14. Congressional Academy
• Grant from U.S. Department of Education’s
Office of Innovation and Improvement
• “It’s time to put the teaching of American History
and civics back in its rightful place in our schools
so that our children can grow up learning what it
means to be an American.”
Senator Lamar Alexander

15. Developing and Engaging
Democracy
• Focus on American
History and Civics
• Development of the
democratic model
• Key events,
documents, people,
and ideas
• Access to elected
officials

16. The Audience
• Marketed to high
school History
educators
• Sixteen
teacher/student
teams attend

17. The Partners
• Ohio Historical Society
• Ohio University
• Marietta College
• The State Archives of Ohio
• Ohio Judicial Center
• The Ross County
Historical Society
• The Perry-Hocking
Educational Service
Center

18. Residential Field School
• Interaction with
Faculty
• Content sessions
• Community
resources
• Hands-on activities
with historians,
archivists, and
curators
• Doing history!

19. Service Learning Project
Teacher/Student Teams develop a
History/Civics project
• Visible and lasting contribution to their
community
• Connect local and state history with
national themes
• Leadership and management skills
• Foster partnerships

20. Service Learning Project
Example:
• Develop a research-based
“constitutional” walking tour
through Chillicothe, Ohio.
• The tour could highlight
significant individuals,
events, documents, and
places.
• The tour could be anchored
by State Historic Markers.
• List site on the National
Register.

21. Conclusion
• Married technology, especially Web 2.0, with
traditional research
• Projects are ongoing
• Collaboration within communities
• Some failure
• Large community turnout
• Projects mirrored community socio-economic
level & available resources
• Constant contact + little oversight = great
projects!