Holiday Celebration a big success

From December 1 through December 3, the American Independence Museum welcomed ​nearly 1,000 visitors for its 2017 season-ending Holiday Celebration, presented by The Provident Bank. The weekend kicked off with a holiday party and fundraiser on Friday with more than $5,000 netted to support museum programs and initiatives.

“This more than doubled what we raised last year,” said museum Executive Director Emma Bray, who noted this was her first year at the annual celebration. “It was wonderful to see so many people ​of all ages​ take part in this year’s festivities. It capped off a very successful 2017 ​season​.”

The weekend festivities took place at the museum’s Folsom Tavern, which was professionally decorated by​ The​ Willow. In addition to their annual holiday celebration on Friday, the museum served refreshments during the holiday parade on Saturday and participated in Womenade’s Holiday Home Tour on Sunday.

In speaking on the success of the 2017 season, Bray credited corporate partners, including major contributors Service Credit Union; GEICO Local Office, Manchester; Hoefle, Phoenix, Gormley & Roberts, P.A.; New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, and Ruffner Real Estate.

“Aside from financial support, these and many other sponsors are involved in what we do—some like People’s United Bank sponsor educational lectures while others, including The Provident Bank, support specific events and visit with us weekly,” she added.

According to Bray, the museum’s value proposition extends far beyond preserving history.

“We are of course a museum, but we are also a resource for community development,” she explained. “One of the central questions we seek to answer is how can we be of value and service to the communities around us? If we can attract more visitors here, we enhance Exeter and the surrounding region. Corporate partnerships help us advance this larger mission.”

Traveling Trunk puts history in the hands of students

With many secondary schools around the state forced to cut back on history classes due to budget shortfalls, the American Independence Museum launched a Traveling Truck pilot program early in 2017. Revealing different aspects of colonial life, the program provides experiential learning opportunities in American History directly in the classroom at no cost to school districts for elementary and middle school age children.

“History has a place in today’s classroom,” said museum Executive Director Emma Bray. “There is so much more to history than rote memorization of facts and dates.”

Abigail Pietrantonio, education manager at the museum, agrees and said the program helps students develop many of the ‘middle skills’ required for success in “today’s fast-pace world.”

“Critical thinking, team-building, communication—these are some of the skills that research shows history can help students develop,” she said. “The study of history is as relevant as ever.”

Educating roughly 100 students this past spring in its pilot program, the Traveling Trunk is now fully implemented and has educated nearly 250 students this fall. Most recently, Pietrantonio traveled to Jacques Memorial Elementary School in Milford.

“It was great to be in the classroom with the kids,” she said. “I look forward to visiting more schools.”

For David Van Rossum, President/CEO of Service Credit Union, which is sponsoring the trunk through April of 2018, the program’s success has been “remarkable.”

“We are delighted the program has been so well received and we hope many other children from the Granite State will come to experience our rich history in such a fun and engaging way,” he said.

In each trunk—students have access to more than 70 high-quality replica items, while teachers are guided by a curriculum designed by the museum.

Expressing appreciation at the partnership with—and support from—Service Credit Union, Bray said the program helps to advance the museum’s mission “beyond [their] four walls.”

“The museum closes for tours in December, but this program makes us a year-round concern,” she said. “We are not just preserving history, we are help to teach it while inspiring today’s young learners to become tomorrow’s leaders…This is a great program that fills a very real educational need.”

To learn more about the Traveling Trunk program, or make an inquiry for your school, library, or similar institution, contact Abigail at [email protected].

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