Today I was lucky enough to meet with Kevin Orangers, Vice President of Programs at the National Liberty Museum, a small museum in Philadelphia with a big mission. Kevin was so enthusiastic and generous with what he shared with me.
I visited Kevin with a particular goal in mind, to find out more about the Young Heroes Outreach Program.
The program has four main goals: to teach young people concepts and skills that will prepare them for responsible citizenship; guide students in identifying, researching, and acting on social issues; empower students to apply their First Amendment rights; and empower students to be ‘heroes of Liberty’ in their communities.
The program engages classes and groups of students (extra-curricular) for a 12 month period. In action it includes teacher professional development, teaching by Museum educators, teaching by class teachers scaffolded by museum resources, and students working together to tackle a real life issues that matters to them. Educators and students get a guide book to assist them through the 12 month project.
The student led action project (the last stage of the program) can be as big or as small as the group wants. This means it can be more digestible for some schools, and more ambitious for others. For example writing letters to representatives or staging a fundraising event.
The program is closely aligned with various curriculums, which means parts of it (or the whole thing) can be used in classroom teaching as well as in a club model (extra-curricular). I like the flexibility of the program and the approach of proving puzzle pieces for teachers to pick and choose from.
Another program that we talked about was the Young Heroes Awards program that the museum manages. Basically the awards recognise young people making change in their communities. It comes with a cash prize and representation in the museum and online. It links to the education program, but not so much in that winners are derived from the program, but that students could potentially work towards one of these awards if they wish. Students’ stories are not only shared in the museum but used as examples in education materials to inspire other young people to take action.
The entire museum took an approach of recognising everyday people making change, which is admirable, engaging, and real.
Not your typical museum guy. 