The primary purpose of the Museum’s History Academy is to provide educational based programming to students with an emphasis on US military history. History Academy provides a unique opportunity for school aged youth from K-12 to learn, explore and create projects. While primarily focusing on US military history, the curriculum will also support the educational themes of US history and civics, along with science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). The program is a collaboration with Charlotte County Public Schools with a goal to help district students meet or exceed Florida State US History and Civics performance standards.
The Academy offers four activities designed to help the students improve their academic performance in US History: in-classroom with a supportive Museum field trip, after school and summer learning, tutoring, and service-learning. The tutoring activity is exclusively designated to focus on students performing below the state standards and takes place at the Museum, or on-line. In-classroom activities take place at the targeted schools at the request of classroom teachers. After school and summer learning also take place at the Museum. The Museum also creates and deliver on-line learning modules designed to align with classroom lesson plans. The lesson plans for the four activities, to be used by the program staff and volunteers, were created in accordance with the school district’s US History curriculum and with collaboration with classroom teachers by a contracted instructional guide planner. Each volunteer receives the appropriate student and facilitator lesson plans during their training.
Classified by the State of Florida as an educational institution, the Military Heritage Museum has always seen itself as more than just a museum. Part of the Museum’s vision is to serve as an education-centered institution that works directly with local schools and other organizations to offer history and STEM based inter-active learning experiences to students of all ages. The Military Heritage Museum contributes to the ongoing education of its constituents by providing onsite history and STEM learning experiences through a wide range of learning methods as well as through online learning opportunities. With its mission-based focus on education, the Museum has a formed a collaboration with the Charlotte County Public Schools, focusing on one of their four strategic objectives: to improve the academic performance in US History in grades 5-10. With almost 72% of the students classified as economically disadvantaged and just over 20% performing under the minimal state standards for US History, the need was there and the Museum was well positioned to align its services and leverage its capabilities to meet this need.
Ongoing funding support is needed to ensure all students can take full advantage of the History Academy programs. From supplies to scholarships, the fund received makes possible and incredible and unforgettable experience for participating students.
