Teaching Cleveland spoke to Angie Lowrie, the director of the Cleveland History Center, about its resources and support for educators. Established in 1867, the Western Reserve Historical Society is Cleveland’s oldest existing cultural institution. It oversees the collections and preservation of documents of what was once known as the Western Reserve, and today operates Hale Farm and Village, Shandy Hall, and the Cleveland History Center — located in University Circle.
Can you describe the WRHS/CHC and its commitment to capturing the Western Reserve’s past?
The Cleveland History Center collects stories, artifacts, and documents that tell the stories of the people and the communities in Northeast Ohio. We operate with the understanding that these local histories can exemplify and illuminate the themes and events that comprise the American experience – that we can use Cleveland stories to teach and discuss the broader circumstances of United States history.
What are some specific resources/exhibits/information that you’re particularly proud of – especially as it relates to connecting to local educators?
Our Youth Entrepreneurship Education (YEE) Program uses the history of innovation in Northeast Ohio to teach middle-school students the entrepreneurial skills and economic principles they would need to start a business today. We use museum objects, like the cars in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Collection and primary source documents, to ask students how to identify community needs, develop products, plan business operations, and pitch their work.
The Cleveland History Center is also the primary host for the Region 3 Ohio History Day contest, which invites students in grades 6-12 to develop their historical thinking and communication skills through completing and presenting a project as an exhibit, website, digital documentary, paper, or performance. Many students who compete choose to research local history topics, and find primary source documents in the archival collections in the WRHS Research Library to support their arguments.
Two of our exhibits, “Carl and Louis Stokes Making History” and “Women and Politics,” connect local history to national political movements, and invite educators and students to contemplate how civic engagement and public policies have affected the lives of Clevelanders.
What is unique and interesting about the CHC and the WRHS?
The collections of WRHS are immense, far beyond what we are able to show in our museum exhibits and they are regularly growing. If there is a part of Cleveland history that someone is interested in, the chances are good that WRHS has artifacts or documents that will fulfill that need. Knowing that we have so much does not stop us from collecting more – we continue working to make sure that we’re representing ALL Clevelanders and their histories in our collections.
If a local educator wanted to connect with the CHC/WRHS to learn more about curricula offerings or to get his/her students connected – what should they know?
We are happy to work with educators to determine which of our programs meets their needs. All of our education programs are developed with grade-appropriate state standards in mind, and we want to make sure students have memorable experiences. Returning in the 2021-2022 school year (COVID-restrictions permitting), we can also work with educators to facilitate access to the WRHS Research Library at the Cleveland History Center so that they can gain hands-on experience with primary sources for individual or class research projects.
Cleveland History Center At-A-Glance
Hours of Operation – Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
Tickets available at www.cletix.com
Additional information is available at www.wrhs.org or [email protected]
Follow on social media @clestartshere
