Education Front and Center

Education is core to our mission. Every year the Greenwich Historical Society interacts with thousands of students and teachers: all third-graders in Greenwich Public Schools, most local independent schools and school groups from neighboring towns in Connecticut and New York visit every year for interactive, inquiry-based programs that meet curriculum standards and complement classroom teaching.

Using primary source documents and collections housed in our library, archives and museum, our team of professional educators works with teachers to develop lessons that uniquely fit their goals.

In our last newsletter we discussed our successful 10-year partnership with Hamilton Avenue School. In this quick overview of some of our other educational programs, we discuss more ways we are engaging a new generation in the appreciation of art and history.

What’s New?

Economics at Bush-Holley House

In collaboration with the Greenwich High School AP Economics class, we developed a program that focused on how people adapted and acquired resources, services and goods during the two distinct time periods that the Bushes and the Holleys resided in the Bush-Holley House. We looked at how Bush-Holley House and its inhabitants adapted their lives and occupations to fit the changing economic landscape of the region and country in regard to farming, shipping, slavery, railroads, hospitality and globalization.

Slavery in Bush-Holley House

This spring we were approached by the seventh-grade teachers at Sacred Heart to create a program focusing on slavery in our region. Students learned how slaves Candis, Patience, Jack, Cull and Hester lived and worked, examining primary documents such as inventories, census records and bills of sale.

Skyping with Second-Graders

Second-grade standards focus on comparing life in the past with how we live today and how we learn about history. Students submit questions in advance, and through the use of Skype, a Greenwich Historical Society educator speaking from our offices appears on a classroom’s smartboard screen and uses primary source documents and objects from our collections to illustrate the answers to their questions.

More Educational Programs

Sarah and Her Town

All third-graders in Greenwich Public Schools interact with the Greenwich Historical Society as part of their curriculum. Students relive the dramatic events that shaped the lives of the Bush family. They become history detectives as they attempt to determine the identity of historic artifacts that Sarah Bush and her family likely used.

Patriots vs. Loyalists: The American Revolution

Cast in the role of Loyalist or Patriot, students debate the issues and events that led to the start of the American Revolution. They learn how the Revolution affected the Colonial Bush family, use primary source documents to prepare arguments, see original Revolutionary War artifacts and engage in a lively full-class debate.

Teacher Development Days

Every year the Historical Society conducts professional development programs for teachers, including groups from Greenwich High School, and Darien High School, who take tours of Bush-Holley House and current exhibitions and get behind-the-scenes looks at our collections. We demonstrate how primary source documents, objects and artwork can be incorporated into research projects and classroom discussions.

Badge Workshops for Scouts, Summer Camp and More

We also host after-school programs including badge workshops for scouts. Our educators are deeply familiar with badge requirements for all levels of both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. In addition, our beloved summer camp uses Bush-Holley House and our staff, collections and archives to offer second- through eighth-graders a highly interactive summer experience with a wide variety of activities focusing on history and art.