Education | Jefferson County History Center

Teaching the future about the past

The Jefferson County History Center is proud to partner with area schools to provide educational programs for kids of all ages. Through coordination with educators, we are able to offer field trips, after school programs and summer activities.

We encourage you to explore some of our past programs and contact us to discuss opportunities for your students.

What have our students been up to?

Artifact in My Life

The Jefferson County History Center, in coordination with the Brookville Area School District, conducted “The Artifact in My Life” competition for sixth graders at Hickory Grove Elementary School. Mrs. Jena Bish, sixth grade Social Studies teacher, incorporated the project into the sixth-grade curriculum. For the competition, each sixth grader selected a family artifact. Components of the project included a photo of the artifact, a three-paragraph story about the artifact, and a video presentation done by the student about the artifact. The winners in each of categories were: Brookville Artifact Project: First-Ali Riley (not pictured), Second-Noelle Reitz, Third-Maggie Beres (not pictured); Jefferson County Artifact Project: First-Patric Neill, Second-Wesley Butcher, Third-Aliyah Lindermuth; Family Artifact Project: First-Mia Jewett, Second-Destiny Harriger, Third-Talen Bish and Emma Berfield (not pictured). Winners were awarded certificates and Brookville Bucks. The projects are on display at the Jefferson County History Center.

Click to expand gallery.

Clarion-Limestone 4th Grade at JCHS Heritage Park

May 17th 2024 — Two busloads of Clarion-Limestone 4th graders descended on the “Scripture Rocks” Park for an educational nature and cultural heritage adventure. We obtained an “Every Kid Outdoors” grant from National Park Trust and USDA Forest Service to sponsor this event.

National Park Trust’s Every Kid Outdoors Small Grants Program, developed in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, supports schools and non-profit organizations focused on connecting elementary youth to public parks, lands, and waters. The grant funded school bus transportation, student and teacher lunches, Scripture Rocks Jr. Ranger and Pollinator booklets, and rack cards on pond life, monarch life cycle, birds and beneficial insect pollinators. Booklets and rack cards were all designed by Staff, and interns (Kat Lyons, Ken Burkett and Alyssa Burkett), and together with “Presenter” volunteer time, became the “in-kind” (non-dollar) match for the grant.

The 60 students were divided into groups of 12-14 to rotate through 5 stations where experts in their field presented the following programming:

Dana Hannibal and Megan Whitlatch, Jefferson County Conservation District, presented the Pond –Pollinator program, Dale Luthringer, DCNR Education Specialist at Cook Forest and Clear Creek State Parks, presented the Forestry and Forest Birds program; Larry Anthony and Walter Skryzpec, JCHS Board President and Board Member, presented the “Tour of the Inscribed Rocks”; and Ken Burkett, JCHS Board Treasurer, presented the Native American Rockshelter program. Kat was the coordinator and designated photographer at the event; also designated to “put out any fires,” of which there were none! The 5th station was the “Trail Name Game” activity where kids came up with nicknames from a list of nature-themed words.

This year’s emphasis was on conservation and stewardship, a focus of National Park Trust & USDA Forest Service, and also of the JCHS Heritage Park.

This project was made possible by USDA Forest Service and National Park Trust’s Every Kid Outdoors Small Grants Program. #NationalParkTrust #EveryKidOutdoors

JCHS Heritage Park (“Scripture Rocks”) provides great opportunities for schools and organizations to take advantage of our educational programs to teach kids of all ages. Working with professionals in their field, we are able to offer cultural history tours and field trips. We host various school districts annually for an all-inclusive immersive nature and cultural history experience. We encourage you to contact us to discuss opportunities for your school or organization. Phone: 814-849-0077. Email: [email protected]. #jchs

5th Grade Class at the Old Brookville Cemetery

May 13th 2024 — The activity at the cemetery went very well. The kids were in 4 stations. They did gravestone rubbings of the headstones that they cleaned in fall, learned about the history of the cemetery and notable people buried there, learned about veterans and placed flags on veterans’ graves, and cleaned additional headstones. They enjoyed this trip so much and Mr. Ent and his group were so thrilled that children were taking an interest and are learning about patriotism and citizenship. Many thanks to those of you who helped put this on. It was a great afternoon!

Kindergarten Activity at the Parker Archives

On April 23^rd of 2024, we hosted approximately 42 Northside kindergarteners at the Parker Archives building.

The kids enjoyed a variety of activities among 4 stations:

Movement – Students crafted tin-can and wooden stilts, and participated in potato sack races and 12 “graces” games, such as hoops and dowel rods. This activity was led by Ann Fritz.
Quilting – Eric Armstrong did a presentation on quilts made from flour sacks, where students got to see photo examples, quilt squares, and a completed quilt. They also designed their own quilt squares with patterned paper background and geometric shapes in solid colors; we will assemble them into quilts to hang at NS.
Making Butter – Students enjoyed a presentation done by David Taylor, who talked about the Brookville Creamery and shared artifacts and photos from the business. Students then got to make their own butter to eat with bread, crackers, and jam.
Making Music – Students made music from washboards, thimbles, and spoons, and played with dancing dolls on boards called “limber jacks,” an activity led by Amy Watson.

Fall 5th Grade Field Trip

On October 26, 2023 we hosted a field day for the Hickory Grove 5th graders (125 kids) at the Old Brookville Cemetery, next to the Parker Archives building.

The kids enjoyed activities at 5 different stations:

Archives & Artifacts – Students worked in pairs to examine artifacts from the archives and record information on their “Mystery from History” worksheets.
Scavenger Hunt – Students visited one section of the cemetery to search for a list of items on the tombstones in that area.
Iconography – Students discussed the meaning of symbols used on the tombstones and how they reflect the life of the people buried there. Then, they created icons of their own to represent themselves.
Tombstone Cleaning – Students worked in small groups, each assigned a tombstone. They recorded observations about the stone before cleaning, then performed some basic cleaning with soft bristled brushes, scrapers and rags. Adult volunteers sprayed each group’s stone with the “Wet and Forget” cleaning solution. After cleaning, students again recorded their observations of the tombstone.
Biographies & Tombstone Design – Students worked in small groups to look over examples of tombstone designs, then design a tombstone based on the biography of a deceased county resident.

The kids were also given the opportunity to purchase items from the gift shop.

The weather was perfect for these outdoor activities, and feedback from the kids and volunteers was overwhelmingly positive.

March Raider Time

During Raider Time in March, the students were treated to a fascinating presentation on the history of photography by Eric Armstrong.

They learned how photos have changed over time, from daguerreotype, ambrotype and tintype to film and Polaroid instant cameras. Eric demonstrated his own Brownie 620 film camera and a photo he took with it about 70 years ago. He explained the processes used in the first decades of photography and how slow, cumbersome and sometimes dangerous they were.

The kids truly enjoyed seeing the evolution of photography and gaining a better understanding of the many steps involved in reaching today’s photographic marvel – the camera phone.

February Raider Time

The JCHC Education Committee introduced the students to Ron Shrewsbury, who is a Civil War re-enactor specializing in the medical practices that were in use during this time. Ron explained how a doctor or surgeon during the war would have treated the variety of injuries sustained by soldiers in the field. The sometimes-gruesome treatments, like amputation, and simple surgical tools certainly gave the students a better appreciation for our modern medicine.

January Raider Time

JCHS Education committee members organized a Brookville: Then and Now activity for the students who attended Raider Time.

First, the students viewed a brief presentation that contained photos of Main Street buildings as they looked years ago. The students then worked in small groups to match 42 “then” and “now” photos of individual Main Street buildings. The students used their observation skills to notice similar features on the building to find matching sets. Their skills were put to the test when they had to find a match for a building that no longer exists on Main Street, or has been replaced with a newer building.

It was an interesting learning experience for the students and the adults because there was so much interaction and discussion!

November Raider Time

At November Raider Time, the students brought Dennis McFadden’s poetry to the stage. Each group chose a poem from “Never Lick a Flagpole” and created a short skit based on the poem. The students’ creativity was on full display as they brought McFadden’s hilarious characters to life.

October Raider Time

October Raider Time was all about spooky stories. Linda Barnes told a fun story on “Blunts special sausage.” Gabby McLaughlin talked about her experience catching a photo of a ghost at the Jenny Wade House in Gettysburg. She also taught the kids about Thomas Litch and the haunted parlor at the History Center. Jill McLaughlin shared an interactive story called “Old Man’s Brains.” The kids got to feel mystery items that represented the old man’s body parts. Several students shared their own spooky stories too!

September Raider Time

JCHC meets monthly with students in grades 3-6 who participate in the elementary after school program, “Raider Time.”

For September’s activity, students had the opportunity to observe 12 artifacts. They then tried to determine what those artifacts may have been used for and how they may have changed over the years. The students were very excited to learn what each item actually was. Can you identify the items in the pictures? Number 5 was a big hit with the kids!