Educational Program News - What a Great Year!

Students from New Market, N.H., learn about the Millyard. (Photo by ACM Board President, Pat Boyle-Steed.)

2023 was a busy year! We hosted my first school field trip during my second week on the job and I haven’t slowed down since. There are many facets to educational programming at the ACM, including adult workshops, student field trips, classroom visits, group tours, serving as a docent to museum visitors, and creating an online presence.

We welcomed over 3,000 visitors to the IHC with an intention to honor this mill building we are in with the voices of future innovators, makers, and doers. Among our educational groups were local school children, girl scouts, campers from Code & Circuit and Lowell's Boat Shop, tour groups, and homeschoolers.

We gave guided tours of the space, played games, and tailored educational activities for each group, bringing Amesbury history alive through connection and hands-on fun. And, secured a grant to partner with Amesbury Elementary School, bringing history to the classroom and the classes to the Industrial History Center.

Among the year’s highlights was the passionate response of Amesbury Middle School eighth graders to the unjust labor practices leading up to the 1852 strike here in Amesbury. Students were shown a model of the Millyard to learn how it was designed and what a typical day was like for male, female, and child mill workers. The students pretended they were going on strike and made posters, which are in a binder now in our Bailey Conference Room.

Another group -- a local girl scout troop -- enjoyed learning the history of the Upper Millyard through a letterbox scavenger hunt. They followed a map to locate five letterboxes in the Millyard. After reading about the history of each location, they collected a stamp for their passport book. A couple of boxes were intentionally misplaced to drive home the importance of a good map!

And more examples come to mind! A group of our senior citizens came and enjoyed a history lecture on the front porch of the IHC. Those who were mobile took a guided walk through the Millyard and others stayed behind to explore the exhibits. Twenty eight adults rowed up the Powow River and experienced the powerful waters that attracted settlers to Amesbury. We welcomed three Amesbury Innovation High students as our Saturday docents this fall, where they learned the ins and outs of working in a small museum. These are just a few snapshots of the many things we did this year.

As we begin 2024, we are really looking forward to this year and continuing to grow our audience and create even more meaningful programs. We are grateful for the generous support of our members, volunteers, and this community.

Regards,
Sheila Spalding
Education Coordinator
sspalding@amesburycarriagemuseum.org