The Arizona Heritage Project connects schools to museums and their communities by helping students research, interpret, and share their region’s rich cultural heritage.
MISSION
The Arizona Heritage Project provides funding, resources, and training to allow high schools (grades 9 and higher) to develop opportunities for teachers and students to conduct oral histories with local residents. These histories become the basis for school and public activities, such as new curricula, exhibitions, websites, documentaries, publications, conferences, and other formats. All AHP activities are partnerships; schools are paired with a local museum and work closely with community-based educational and cultural organizations, such as libraries, parks, state and local agencies, and community service organizations.
ACTIVITIES
The Arizona Heritage Project believes schools are an integral component of healthy communities, and that the more teachers and students work with others, the stronger their communities will be. Further, AHP maintains that students who understand their area’s history and heritage become better stewards of their communities. In that sense, one of AHP’s goals is to develop “citizens” in the fullest sense of the word – students who value the history of their place, and who are engaged in shaping their community’s future.
GOALS
All projects, which usually last a school year, begin with oral histories – of local elders, community leaders, educators, new residents, and others who can help shed light on the area’s history and heritage. Most schools focus on a central question, such as “What is the significance of the land as it defines a sense of place and heritage for the four tribes of the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation?” or “How did the wives of military men in Territorial Arizona contribute to their community?” AHP then provides funding and training to help teachers and students learn the techniques of conducting and interpreting oral histories. Further, AHP staff and consultants demonstrate how these histories might contribute to curriculum development, or how they can be used to create public projects for museum exhibits, publications, Websites, radio and television documentaries, and other educational formats.
PROCESS
All AHP projects are presented to and archived with the cooperating museum. The completed projects are displayed and shared with the local community. The student's work is deposited at the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Also, where appropriate, AHP will present the outcomes at its Sharlot Hall Museum headquarters in Prescott, and then arrange to travel projects to museums statewide. AHP staff and project participants also present their findings at relevant conferences (such as for history teachers or museum staffs), and AHP documents projects in an annual publication, Arizona Heritage, as well as on the AHP website.
OUTCOMES
This year up to 10 Arizona high schools may receive grants for AHP oral history and community documentation projects. AHP is working to develop ongoing support from schools, community service organizations, and donors that will help successful projects get established and continue. Our goal is to help launch oral history and community documentation projects and then turn them over to the schools, libraries and museums as part of the ongoing curriculum.
ONGOING PROGRAMS
ARIZONA HERITAGE PROJECT
Sharlot Hall Museum • 415 W. Gurley St. • Prescott AZ 86301
• 928-445-3122 ext. 31