Thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Sciences to the Eckley Miners’ Village Museum, school groups may find it easier to visit the historic site. In this file photo, re-enactors in period dress take part in a previous event at the Eckley Miners Village.
Times Leader file photo
Eckley Miners’ Village Museum has been awarded an Inspire! Grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Sciences. This grant will help fund three different programs that will make the museum more accessible to schools and the community.
With the generous support of this grant, Eckley will roll out a transportation scholarship, Eckley Explorers multi-media education kits, and a traveling trunk program subsidy.
Eckley Explorers are our new, multi-media education kits that include artifacts, lesson plans, enrichment activities, and supplies teachers can borrow free of charge. The staff worked with an advisory committee of teachers from various school districts, subject matters, and grade levels to ensure these kits met Pennsylvania Department of Education standards.
“I have been taking my fourth-grade Pennsylvania history students to Eckley Miners’ Village for over 20 years. Before our visit, we learn about this historical site in class through readings and by examining artifacts reflecting our anthracite coal region’s past. I strongly urge teachers on all grade levels to take advantage of the grant programs at Eckley Miners’ Village and to visit the site with their students,” says Shawn Murphy, advisory committee member.
Transportation is a major barrier for school field trips across our 9-county footprint. Thanks to the IMLS grant, Eckley Miners’ Village Museum can now provide scholarships for schools experiencing this hardship. Lastly, the traveling trunk program can bring the museum to your organization and the community at large. The program includes an hour-long presentation by an interpreter with a PowerPoint as well as various artifacts and replicas. The subsidy will cover the cost of this program.
Interested schools and organizations can find more information on our website at eckleyminersvillage.com/eckley-outreach-programs/ or by calling the museum at 570-636-2070.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.