Jefferson National Expansion Administrative History

The Museum Education Program

Beginnings: 1977-1980

For many years, interpretation at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was accomplished through non-personal services. With the exception of talks given at the Old Courthouse, exhibits were the primary interpretive medium employed. With the opening of the Museum of Westward Expansion in 1976, however, personal interpretation began to play a much larger role.

In 1977, attempts to expand the Memorial's interpretive efforts beyond the site and into the community resulted in the creation of a museum education program within the Jefferson National Expansion Historical Association and the hiring of Ray Breun as a museum education specialist. [27] The program was designed to create a learning atmosphere for both school children and adult groups who came to the MWE and Old Courthouse. Services ranged from general museum tours to specialized presentations on St. Louis history and architecture. [28] Ray Breun recalled:

When I [was hired] I had nothing to do with the sales division at all. . . . In June of 1977, Norm [Messinger] walked into my office and said I would have to start a museum education program, and he would oversee it and sign off on whatever was decided. . . After the museum opened, the word got out to schools real fast, and the very first year after it opened, they had 36,000 school kids. It was just amazing, and they were quite surprised at how many people came. . . By the spring of 1977, the Park Service interpretive staff said "We cannot handle any more kids." But they knew full well that they were going to get more than 36,000 the coming year. So in June of 1977, . . . I went to the various universities and picked up [three] intern volunteers in Masters Degree programs. . . We worked out the type of basic program to have in this museum, and how to relate it to the Old Courthouse. . .

So we came up with an opening tour, and Norm wanted to know how many school kids I thought we would have. Now, I said based on what the other museums do, and the fact that we are open on Mondays, when all the other museums are closed, I would expect the visitation to at least triple, if not quadruple in one year. And it did. We ended up handling as many people in April and May of 1978 as we had the entire previous school year, '76-'77. . .

We worked out a basic structure that we wanted all interpreters to have [regarding] interpretation in general, and school folks and various audiences in particular. Out of that came what we called the pre-test. We had a test for the entire interpretive staff, those that were here and any new ones who came on duty. They could "test out" of training [if an employee passed the test they did not have to attend the training session]. . . We gave the test to the existing interpretive staff, and it took each person a little over three hours to complete . . . In August we did the pre-test, in between time we had been writing our heads off, trying to get all those packages done, get the interpretive materials finished. In September we did the training for the staff, and we had two 80-hour classes; by the end of September, we were giving tours.

[In 1978] we handled about [92,000] school kids, so we went from 36,000 to about [92,000]. We also began the process of writing information sheets on various objects in the collection. We put together the first 19 slide packages and put those out by mail [to the schools who requested them as pre-visit kits] . . . [29]

By 1978 JEFF interpretive programs included classes, workshops for teachers, a publications program, and accredited intern and research programs with area colleges. During that year, more than 2000 groups utilized the Museum of Westward Expansion's resources. [30] However, the program lacked a synthesis with the curricula in the local school systems. Each interpreter developed his or her own themes and outlines based more on the title given to the individual program than on specific educational objectives. [31]

Folklife Program

After the opening of the Museum of Westward Expansion in 1976, Assistant Superintendent Norman Messinger realized the potential for arts programs in the new museum setting. Using leftover Bicentennial funds, Messinger sought the expertise of the Missouri Friends of the Folk Arts in the development of a museum concert series. Fifteen concerts of traditional music were held over a period of seven months, and were very successful. In February 1977, a temporary position was funded by JNEHA to coordinate folk arts activities, including music and crafts demonstrations, in the museum. Later in 1977 the position became permanent, with the program coordinator raising funds from corporations and arts endowments, organizing public programs, festivals and conferences, and serving as a resource person for the community and NPS staff. Through public programs, seminars, community contacts and exhibits, the Folklife Program sought to instill in visitors an appreciation and understanding of traditional arts. [32] Demonstrations of crafts and music such as saddle making, cowboy songs, quilting, storytelling, American Indian button and ribbon work, old-time fiddling, and basketmaking made aspects of the past come to life for visitors. [33]

Education Program, 1981-1985

In 1981 a brochure describing the museum education program's various services was prepared and sent out to area schools. For pre-school and kindergarten there were storytelling and sketching at the Old Courthouse, and exploring tours in the Museum of Westward Expansion. First grade programs focused on family roles and relationships. Grades 2 and 3 explored natural and man-made communities in the West. At the 4th and 5th grade level, students were introduced to such topics as transportation and geography in the Museum of Westward Expansion, and the role of the Old Courthouse as a legal institution. Programs for grades 6-8 included the role of various ethnic groups in the West, an in-depth look at the Old Courthouse and its role in St. Louis' social history, and an introduction to the National Park System. For high schoolers, topics included women in the West; Thomas Jefferson and westward expansion; the effect of expansion on American Indians; an architectural tour of the Old Courthouse; a tour of the Old Courthouse and Luther Ely Smith Square to discuss parks and the urban environment; and walking tours of the downtown area. [34]

In 1981 the program was broadened further to involve the St. Louis Public Schools' Partnership Program. This special school program was previously directed toward introducing students to business sites. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial created the pilot program for the participation of cultural sites in Partnership Programs. The success of this program led to its expansion to all the cultural museums in the St. Louis area. The Partnership Program was managed by three employees, hired by JNEHA, who also carried the park's Folklife Program into the schools. [35]

With financial assistance from the Missouri Committee for the Humanities, the JEFF Museum Education Office prepared a number of learning packages, consisting of slides and accompanying handbooks. Topics included architecture, St. Louis and Missouri history, women of the West, and U.S. Presidents who affected westward expansion. Yet another aspect of the program was the Traveling Exhibit Program, funded by the Missouri Arts Council, in which reproductions of paintings and photographs on a number of topics were offered for display in museums, galleries, schools, libraries, and other public facilities throughout the state. [36]

In the early 1980s, however, the Museum Education Office was, according to the park's annual report, "largely an outreach program for schools, small museums, scouts and nursing homes who can use our resources but cannot often come to the Memorial. . . . Maintaining this program is a bare minimum of what can be done in outreach." Most of the focus was on the Frontier Folklife Program and the craftspeople who were brought into the park to provide concerts and demonstrations. [37]

Education Program Revisions

JEFF school programs were revised in 1985 due to two factors. The first was the boost in support received through NPS Director William Mott's 12-point plan on the role of urban parks in education. The second was the passage by the Missouri State Legislature of the "Excellence in Education Act," which encouraged schools to justify field trips based on Missouri Core Competencies and Key Skills. During the summer of 1985, a Museum Education Program (MEP) committee, which included front-line interpreters from the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse, began considering ways to strengthen the education program at JEFF. The committee produced several suggestions. Program requests were tracked to better understand the needs of area teachers, and how the park might integrate themes and objectives into local curricula. Work was started on producing a booklet or guide for MEPs to expand and revise the shorter MEP brochure. [38]

Another change which affected the Museum Education Program was the demise of the Folklife Program. [39] Craftspeople from the program were responsible for presenting Partnership Programs in the schools, demonstrating frontier skills with music and handicrafts. When funding for the Folklife Program ended, a 180-day seasonal employee was hired by JNEHA to continue the off-site portion of the Partnership Program. "The interesting thing," remarked Breun, "is how [the Partnership] funding comes from the Arts and Education Council, which solicits the money from various corporations and individuals. They give it to the school board, and then the school board pays us." [40]

In 1985, 60 classes took part in the four-session Partnership Programs. Pre- and post-site sessions conducted at the schools, as well as programs at both the Old Courthouse and the Museum of Westward Expansion, gave 1,800 students an in-depth look at the park and its resources. Both students and teachers concurred that the benefits of the four sessions were far greater than a program based on a one-time visit. Many front-line interpreters, however, felt that the program lacked coordination and cohesion; whether folklife people or the Partnership Program's seasonal employee went out to the schools, their programs were essentially different and often at odds with what the interpretive staff presented when the same classes visited the museum. [41]

Park Rangers Cathy Pellarin (near the pillar on the left) and Eleanor Hall (in the dress and apron, foreground) conduct an overlander program for a group of 4th graders in the Museum of Westward Expansion. NPS photo by Al Bilger.

Consequently, Park Ranger Rick Ziino drafted a proposal to use the contract money from the St. Louis City Schools to fund a year-round program rather than a 180-day seasonal employee, and pay the salary of a full-time education program specialist at JEFF. On June 1, 1986, a non-NPS education program specialist position was created, funded by the St. Louis City School System, with additional funds from JNEHA. During the summer the new education specialist, Sue Siller, was able to coordinate a complete revision of the Partnership Program in which St. Louis school classes took part, with the incorporation of new themes and coordination between the on- and off-site portions of the program. As a result, the program increased in size by 25% in 1986 over the previous year. [42]

JNEHA Ranger Tim Butler conducts an educational program on the fur trade in the Old Courthouse, May 1990. NPS photo by Al Bilger.

Education programs, previously conducted only during the traditional nine-month school year, were expanded to a year-round format under the direction of Siller. This began with the Summer Education Experiences (SEE) program, a summer school session for inner-city students in need of remedial attention. JEFF's education programs, with their "hands-on" approach, proved to be very effective in this context, and led to participation by other schools, day camps, and scout groups during the summer months. [43]

The education and interpretive staff developed programs which were broader in scope, curriculum-based, keyed to the necessary competencies and skills, and more easily adapted for use with all age groups. For pre-school through 12th grade general tours of the Museum of Westward Expansion and programs about Native Americans and the lifestyles of the pioneers were developed. In addition, programs about Lewis and Clark and the fur trappers were created for 4th through 12th grades. At the Old Courthouse, programs on transportation and St. Louis lifestyles were available for all grade levels. For 4th to 12th graders, there were also Old Courthouse tours, a "fur trading post," and mock trials in the historic courtrooms. Two special programs were designed to emphasize the historical contributions of African-Americans and European immigrants to life in the United States. Costumes and a recreated naturalization ceremony helped to acquaint students with the immigration and naturalization process in St. Louis. [44]

JEFF also began working with local "magnet" schools on in-depth programs similar to the Partnership Programs. Magnet schools had narrowly focused curricula centered around such subjects as mathematics, performing arts, or ROTC. Even when such special resource schools emphasized non-social studies subjects, however, they were still required to cover a social studies core curriculum for their generally more talented students. [45] In 1986, a program was developed by JEFF with the Stix Investigative Learning Center, a magnet school for gifted students. Sessions were highly interactive and project-oriented. The majority of the programs were originally targeted for the 4th to 6th grade level, but in 1990 a high school and a pre-school program were introduced.

The high school program was performed in conjunction with the "World of Difference," a nationally recognized campaign aimed at reducing prejudice and discrimination. Park Ranger Eleanor Hall worked with the Theodore Roosevelt High School, a large inner-city school in St. Louis with a racially mixed student body. In keeping with the westward expansion theme, her program centered around minority groups in the West, including black and Hispanic cowboys, Chinese gold miners, and black homesteaders, and focused on how they overcame obstacles. [46] In the course of the program, Hall made visits to the school and the students visited the museum twice. Written assignments were required of each student about one of the racial or ethnic groups studied. They responded with poems, songs (including rap music), diary entries, and letters. A spin-off program involved a two-part presentation by another ranger, Jim Jackson, on early surveying techniques for math classes. The success of the presentation resulted in a High School Intern Program, in which three GS-1 seasonals were hired at JEFF and received on-going training throughout the summer and on weekends during the school year. [47]

A national initiative emphasizing early childhood education provided the impetus for the Partnership Program for preschool and kindergarten groups. Two programs were developed, one during the fall semester centering on holidays and one during the spring semester focusing on lifestyles in St. Louis during the 19th century. Students were very responsive, producing ornaments to decorate a tumbleweed Christmas tree and paper bonnets and stovepipe hats as a role-playing activity to recreate life in St. Louis at the turn of the century. [48] The popularity and success of such special school programs continued to grow into the 1990s.

Park Ranger David Uhler conducts the off-site portion of a partnership program, 1991. NPS photo by Al Bilger.

New Directions

As the museum education program evolved in the 1980s, changes were made. Traveling exhibits were dropped, the slide packets were retained, and a new feature, "the traveling trunk program," was developed by JEFF Historian Jon James and Education Specialist Sue Siller in 1987. Originally called "Traveling Suitcases," the program began with containers of various sizes which could be mailed to those area classrooms which, due to fiscal or time constraints, could not make site visits. The suitcases, which were later expanded to footlocker-style trunks, contained "hands-on" objects such as reproduction objects and clothing, mounted photographs, and teacher handbooks in the form of scripts which linked the objects together and told a story. The trunks became extremely popular among schools, scout camps, nursing homes, and libraries. Videotapes were later added to the list of resources available in each trunk. [49]

The contents of a traveling trunk on the mountainmen reveal the educational potential of this unique program. NPS photo by Al Bilger.

During the 1980s, the museum education program became less dependent on outside funding and staffing. In September 1987, a reorganization, prompted by the program's success and expansion, resulted in the addition of five "education interpreters" who worked under the direction of Education Specialist Sue Siller. The education staff was funded entirely by JNEHA [50] and presented educational programs in the MWE, as well as researching and producing many educational resources such as traveling trunks, slide packets, video programs, and computer activities for the classroom. [51]

By 1988, the demand for school programs, partnership programs, traveling trunks and other educational services reached a level at which a receptionist was needed, along with a computerized reservation system. This increased the efficiency of making reservations for museum education programs, as well as pre-visit educational materials. A new position was also established for a museum education assistant. [52]

Greater teacher involvement and improved quality of programs and services marked the direction of the museum education program in the 1990s. By 1991, 100,000 children participated annually in JEFF's museum education programs. The completion of a traveling trunk about wolves and the enhancement of several existing trunks expanded the scope of the program. Pre-visit material for the Old Courthouse education program and the Dred Scott program was developed, and the education staff implemented a selection of special programs for scouts based on their handbooks and badge requirements. The programs proved quite popular, with 1,400 scouts participating in the first three months alone. [53] An interpreter from Saguaro National Monument (Arizona), was invited to work with JEFF staff on conducting teacher workshops in 1991. In addition, JEFF was accepted into the Educator Career Internship Program for the summer of 1991. This program, sponsored by the St. Louis Schools, provided a teacher to work on-site for five weeks to produce teacher guides, provide staff training, and to evaluate the entire education program. [54]

The Pacific Northwest Regional Office, in cooperation with The Oregon National Historic Trail, requested that JEFF produce a K-12 curriculum celebrating the Oregon Trail Sesquicentennial. The Oregon Trail: Yesterday and Today, a product of exceptional quality, was produced; a second curriculum on the Columbus Quincentennial was in production at the end of 1991. [55]

The highlight of many educational visits to the Old Courthouse in the 1980s was the opportunity to act out the Dred Scott Trial in one of the building's historic courtrooms. NPS photo by Al Bilger.

Schoolchildren took on the roles of the judge, lawyers, Dred Scott and the jury. NPS photo by Al Bilger.