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Valdez, Alaska, has a rich and colorful past, and it is the goal of the museum's education department to present its history in unique and exciting ways.
Public, home, and rural school children - and adults as well - are drawn into lessons revolving around themes of: Alutiiq and Copper River Native traditions, early Russian and Spanish exploration, the Gold Rush of 1898, the Kennicott copper mining industry, early railroads, the construction of the Richardson Highway, the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, and much more.
Our aim is to work with teachers of all levels and subjects to present motivating lessons of local history. We carefully plan instruction that will stimulate student interest in our local heritage through the use of PowerPoint slide presentations, video productions, music, art projects, field trips, guest presenters, museum tours, role playing, skits, reenactments, walking tours, science experiments, and all manner of hands-on activities.
By making our lessons fun they will not easily be forgotten.
In addition to our local elementary, junior high, high school, and home schools, the museum's education programs have recently been delivered to rural communities. They include the Copper River Valley communities of Slana, Chistochina, and Gakona, and the Prince William Sound village of Tatitlek.
Rural students from McCarthy, Kenny Lake, and from as distant as Cantwell, have traveled to Valdez to visit the museum.
Local civic groups, such as the Rotary Club, have also drawn on our services.
| CONTACTING THE EDUCATION CURATOR |
Teachers with ideas or questions may contact the education curator using the following information:
| Name: |
Steve Richardson |
| Address: |
Curator of Education
Valdez Museum & Historical Archive
PO Box 8
Valdez, Alaska 99686
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| Museum phone: |
(907) 835-2764 |
| ABOUT OUR EDUCATION CURATOR |
Our Curator of Education, Steve Richardson, is a long time Alaskan teacher. His career has taken him to a variety of communities around the state including Nome, Fort Yukon, Chugiak, and Anchorage. His degrees are in art education and elementary education. He has taught at all levels from 3rd through 12th grades.
His job as education curator involves the gathering of information from varied sources. He then organizes those findings and presents them in a variety of ways. Information for lessons comes from: interviews, books, articles, videos and films, the Internet, current events, museum manuscripts, photos, personal experience, and every other possible source.
Steve is a firm believer in what he calls "Hands-on History."
The education program at the Valdez Museum is supported with a grant from
The United Way of Valdez and Bob and Linda Felland.
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