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Education Committee
History for all ages!
Our mission: To increase knowledge,
understanding and appreciation of Jefferson County's history through projects and
programs directed at residents and visitors of all ages, with
particular attention to school-aged children.
The committee was honored to be selected JCHS
Volunteers of the year in 2010. Committee members are: JoAnn
Bussa, Pam Clise, Bonnie Fritz, Beth Mackey, Julie Marston, Steve Ricketts,
Phyllis Snyder and Robin Ornelas. Throughout the year, members of the JCHS Education
Committee provide resources and programs to the community, including:
Museum in a Trunk
Program
 Thanks
to years of hard work and generous donations from
local service organizations and citizens, the JCHS Education Committee has
developed six traveling museum trunks of artifacts, books, photographs and
curriculum support for use in Jefferson County schools.
The following trunks are available to any Jefferson County school group:
Early Settlers of Jefferson County
Life of a Sailor and Navigation Sea Chest
Native Peoples of the North
Olympic Peninsula
The History of Logging in
Jefferson County: 1850-1950
The Chinese Story in Jefferson
County: 1870-1930
For more information
CLICK HERE
FIELD TRIP SUPPORT
 Groups
of students, teachers, and accompanying parents from Jefferson County are
welcome to visit both the historical society museum, Rothschild House and
Commanding Officer's Quarters at no charge. The Education Committee will pay
travel expenses for these field trips. For assistance funding a field trip to
the JCHS Museum, Rothschild House and/or Commanding Officer's Quarters call the
JCHS at 360-385-1003.
Scholarship Program
 Each
year since 2000, the JCHS Education Committee has raised funds for scholarships
by hosting the fashion show during the Victorian Festival and through several
other fundraising events throughout the year. The Scholarship is awarded to
graduating students in Jefferson County each year who plan to continue studying
history.
COMMUNITY
OUTREACH
In 2010 the committee completed several large projects:
The Building Histories Project was met with great enthusiasm and
pleasure from the business owners. All businesses located in a historic
building, both uptown and downtown were presented with a framed, one page
history of their building to be displayed in their business.
 The second major project was the Smithsonian Exhibit in which committee
members visited all Jefferson County schools to inform teachers about the coming
exhibit and furnished them with information and suggested class projects before
visiting the exhibit. While the Smithsonian Exhibit was displayed in the museum,
committee members were guides to more than 200 students. Several of the classes
used the Transportation Fund to visit the museum during this time.
The Pam Clise Transportation Fund with donations from Pam and Beth Mackey helped
cover the transportation costs (or portion of) for Jefferson County students
wishing to visit the museum with their classes. This fund allowed the committee
to pay for several classes visiting the museum during the Smithsonian Exhibit
along with other classes throughout the year.
Several members of the committee assisted with the Victorian Girls History
Camp organized by Phyllis Snyder. The theme of the projects completed during
the camp were coordinated and displayed with the Smithsonian Exhibit.
 Participation by committee members during the New Year's Eve celebration of
First Night, featured several activities for children in attendance. The
Chinese Story in Jefferson County museum trunk was featured and on display
during the evening with a Chinese lantern craft for children. Other family
activities provided by the committee, included a history hunt throughout the
museum, a Chinese Happiness chart where participants could make a wish for the
New Year and a family dancing venue. Committee members also assisted with
selling tickets for the celebration.
 For the 13th consecutive year, Steve Ricketts has presented his Trappers
and Traders Living History Program to every Washington State History class at
Port Townsend High School along with presentations to five classes at Sequim
Middle School. Steve was a speaker for the Washington Humanities Inquiring Mind
and portrayed James G. Swan for Swan School so they could meet their name sake.
He also presented Swan School with a program on musical instruments in which he
demonstrated four musical instruments and talked about their histories. Steve
has done portrayals for the Tacoma Historical Society, Fort Nisqually Living
History Museum and the Dupont Historical Society. Steve is Vice-President of the
NW Chapter of the Victorian Society. Steve has assisted in making several of
James Swan's recipes for the preparations of the cookbook JCHS Research Center
will be publishing.
The First Friday Lecture Series has been very successful and more popular
each month. Committee members assist with suggesting possible presenters and
with the collection of donations at each event.
Committee members provide tours of the museum for Jefferson County
students and other school groups outside the county along with providing
delivery and pick-up of the traveling museum trunks to the schools. We are proud
to report that 647 students and 150 adults viewed and used trunks' curriculums
in 2010. |
