PHC Summary Report Final 4-25-13 with header

SUMMARY REPORT APRIL 2013

DR. ROSALIND BEILER

With assistance from Bethany Bowles and Derrick Jicha For ENC 6292 Project Management for Technical Writers

PREPARED FOR: UCF PROVO ST& EXECUTIVE VI CE PR ESI DENT - TO NY WALDROP COLLEGE OF AR TS AN D HUMANI TI ES DEAN - JO SE B. FERN AN DEZ

SEMINO LE CO UNT Y PUBLIC SCHOO LS SUP ERI N TEN DENT - WALT GRI FFIN SEMINO LE CO UNT Y PUBLIC SCHOO L BO AR D

PUBLI C H I STOR Y CEN T ER “BUI LDING O N TR ADI TI ON . . .”

PA G E 2 O F 24

TABLES O F CO NT ENT S Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….……………..……3

Accomplishments At a Glance………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….………….……..3 Educational Programming……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….……………….……………….……..4 K-12 Programming………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………….………….………4 University Level Programming and Research……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………….……..5 Undergraduate Internships…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….……..5 Graduate Internships…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….……..…….6 Class Projects…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………7 Future Educational Programming and Partnerships……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………9 University-Level Programming…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………8 Summer Discovery Camp………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………9 Community Collaboration………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………..9 Community Events……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………..9 Bell Ringing Ceremony…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………10 Neighborhood Block Party……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………..10 Fright School………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 PumpkinFest………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………….…………………………...…10 Old-Fashioned Christmas……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………….10 Seminole County Centennial……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….11 Community Workshops…………………………………………………………………………….…………………….……………………………………………………………………………12 “Digital Vs. Physical Preservation” ………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………12 Central Florida Certified Local Governing Training Workshop………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………12 Steve Berry’s Writers Workshop……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….12 Volunteer Program…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………12 Community Partnerships….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………….……13 City of Sanford………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………….………….13 Sanford Historic Trust…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………….13 University of Florida’s Seminole County Extension………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………13 Seminole County …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………..13 RICHES of Central Florida………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………….14 E/Z Photo Scan Powered by i/o TRAK……………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………..…………………………..14 Citizens Bank of Florida………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………….14 Wal-Mart……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………….14 Winn-Dixie…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………..14 Administration and Management……………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………….………………………….14 Building…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………….14 Building Advisory Committee…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………15 American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers…………………………………………….……………………………………………..15 Technology Fee Grant……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………….………15 Collections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………..15 Collections Care and Management………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………16 Museum Assessment Program – Collections Stewardship……………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………16 LIFE Grant……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………17 NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Grant……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………….17 Archival Administration Internship – John Settle…………………………………………………………………………………………………….….………………………………17 Exhibits……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….………………………………….17 Native American Exhibit………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….…………………..18 Pioneer Exhibit………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………….……………………18 Turn of the Century Classroom………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………….……………………18 Grandma’s Attic………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………..18 Geography Lab……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………….18 Photographic Essay Lobby…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………19 Teaching Gardens……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………..…………………19 Expansion and Planning Changes…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………19 Operational Costs…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….……………………….21 Revenue Generation………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….…………………………22 Expanded Programming and Fund-Raising………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….………………………………22 Meeting Space and Facility Rentals………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….…………………………………………22 Grants………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….…..23 Challenges and Future Opportunities………………………………….……………………………………….……………………………………….………………………………………..23


PA G E 3 O F 24

INTRODUCTION

On July 8, 2011, the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Department of History submitted a proposal to Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop for transforming the Seminole County Public Schools’ Student Museum and Social Studies Center into the Public History Center (PHC). Housed in a 1902 Romanesque revival style brick building that is one of the few surviving examples of Florida turn-of-the-century school architecture, the Student Museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) used the building, which has many of its original fixtures still intact, to teach 4

th grade students Florida

social studies in a hands-on learning environment. By 2010 severe budget cuts were threatening to close the doors. After months of discussion and deliberation, UCF leased the building for two years beginning July 2012 to use as a public history learning laboratory for its students and to explore the possibilities for a long-term partnership with the SCPS.

Public history can be defined as the many and diverse ways history is put to work in the world. While students in UCF’s public history program learn in the classroom theoretically how to engage multiple audiences in interpreting history, to apply that theory requires active involvement in community projects. UCF’s vision for the PHC, therefore, rests on three priorities: Exploration – conducting ground-breaking research that connects local stories to global events; Innovation – providing hands-on educational opportunities for students of all ages; Collaboration – engaging the community in preserving and interpreting the past. For UCF, the PHC is cultivating an educational facility to serve as a community laboratory for students from different disciplines and to promote publicly engaged humanities research. For SCPS, the center seeks to expand the Student Museum’s interactive learning opportunities for K-12 students and to engage the Central Florida community with collecting and interpreting its own history. The historic building and the collections it houses provide a wonderful opportunity to realize these goals and to become a one-of-a-kind educational facility that will create “opportunity through access, partnerships, interdisciplinarity, and engagement” – all key components of UCF’s vision for becoming a top-tier research university.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT A GLANCE

In the nine months since signing the lease, our most significant accomplishments are as follows:

Incorporation into university-level educational programming. Undergraduate and graduate students from UCF, Florida Institute of Technology, and Seminole State College programs have participated in class projects, student internships, and field trips at the PHC. Two graduate history classes have met regularly at the PHC – 1 in fall 2012 and 1 in spring 2013. Since July 2012, the PHC’s programs have infused real-world experiences and community involvement into academic learning for university students in history, education, mechanical engineering, business administration, and technical writing.

Improved SCPS programming. Script development and volunteer training have increased the consistency and quality of the SCPS fourth-grade curriculum for the 2,800 students who have or will visit the PHC this school year. These improvements emphasize interactive, hands-on learning opportunities for social studies students.


PA G E 4 O F 24

Community awareness of and engagement with PHC programs. Since August 2012 the PHC has been open to the public five days a week and has hosted a series of public events. In addition to students, more than 700 people have visited the PHC. UCF students working as interns, volunteers, and in class projects have planned and hosted all of our community events.

Building key partnerships. The key partnership formed since July 2012 is between UCF and SCPS. However, the PHC has created additional partnerships with other local colleges and universities, businesses, non-profit organizations, and local government entities to conduct programming, sponsor events and use the facility.

Stabilization of the museum’s collection and the building. The historic building and its collection of artifacts, documents, and photos play a vital role in all of the PHC’s programming. They provide the key materials that allow UCF and SCPS students to engage with the past and the public to learn in innovative ways. Microbial remediation; creating a more consistent climate-controlled environment by running the air conditioning and dehumidifiers steadily 24 hours, 7 days a week; tenting for termites; successful completion of the Museum Assessment Program (supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and American Alliance of Museums); creation of a collections policy and procedures; and rehousing some of the artifacts have been important first steps to stabilizing both the building and the collections.

Increased visibility for UCF. The PHC is providing an active and visible presence for the History Department, the College of Arts and Humanities, and UCF in Sanford and Seminole County.

Value Added. Through field trip fees, donations, and rentals, the PHC is on target to reach its goal of $20,000 in raised revenue in its first year of operation. The less tangible value added, however, comes from the countless hours and contributions students have made to the center’s programs and facility. From revised curriculum to rehoused collections, from strategic planning to exhibit creation, students are transforming the Student Museum into the Public History Center. The work they are doing, even as they are learning, represents an investment in the PHC that is beyond calculation in terms of monetary value but has enhanced their quality of education immeasurably.

In short, in our first 9 months of operation, the PHC has laid a solid foundation for bringing together university and public school programming, corporate, government and non-profit partners, and the community to provide innovative opportunities that encourage civic engagement, hands-on learning, and interdisciplinary research. The following report details the PHC’s accomplishments to date, presents several challenges inherent in the current short-term partnership, and proposes a path for moving forward.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING Educational programming is the key benefit the PHC provides to SCPS, UCF, and the greater Central Florida community. The center is successfully integrating K-12 programming and educating the community with training opportunities for university students. In the past 9 months, we have continued to offer 4

th grade social

studies field trips to SCPS students while engaging UCF students in hands-on learning opportunities to investigate, preserve, and interpret the region’s past.


PA G E 5 O F 24

K-12 PROGRAMMING The strongest, most enduring role of the Student Museum is providing 4

th grade students with regularly scheduled

field trips. During these visits, students are welcome to journey into the past by examining Native American artifacts, experiencing life as an early Florida pioneer, seeing what it was like to be a student in 1902, learning about a day in the life of a child in the early 20

th century through items found in Grandma’s attic, and exploring

Florida geography. Learning continues outdoors in a teaching garden that provides opportunities to identify vegetables and fruits grown at the turn of the last century. The PHC continues to host SCPS and private school 4

th grade field trips. From August 2012 to July 2013, 2,800

children and chaperones will have visited the PHC on field trips. As part of the lease agreement with SCPS, the PHC is committed to offering integrated curriculum-based programming for students K-12. The PHC also is dedicated to expanding its educational programming for K-12 students beyond the 4

th grade. In

January, it hosted an Educator’s Open House to discuss with local teachers ideas for integrating the PHC’s resources into their curricula. In addition, UCF College of Education students have evaluated the center’s teaching trunks and are working to turn them into mobile exhibits to send out to schools. SCPS high school students have begun completing community service hours at the PHC. Finally, as a part of Seminole County’s Centennial Celebration, the PHC has partnered with SCPS in an essay-writing contest, history fair projects, and by hosting an exhibit about the naming contest for the Senator’s clone (the new tree to replace the historic cypress that burned last year).

UNIVERSITY LEVEL PROGRAMMING AND RESEARCH One of the key innovations of the PHC’s educational programming is engaging undergraduate and graduate students in hands-on, interdisciplinary research and practice. Public history is a methodology or an approach to doing history that is collaborative and interdisciplinary. In the classroom, undergraduate and graduate students learn the theories behind how to engage public audiences in interpreting the past but gaining the professional skills they need to succeed requires experience beyond the classroom walls. The PHC is providing a learning laboratory for history students as well as those from other disciplines for gaining practical, first-hand knowledge and experience through internships, class projects, volunteer opportunities, field trips, and teaching assistantships.

UNDER GRADUATE INT ERNS HIP S

Several undergraduate students have worked at the PHC on projects completed for graded course credit. Kwame Simmons created a new curriculum for the Crooms Academy Alumni Association’s exhibit. Crooms Academy was the historic black high school in Seminole County. The Alumni Association has housed an exhibit at the PHC since 2008 but it has not been incorporated into the teaching curriculum. Mr. Simmons conducted oral histories with creators of the exhibit and created scripts for 4

th grade field trips as well as the general public that

will be introduced into the PHC’s curriculum in fall 2013. His curriculum and the exhibit were featured in our Black History Month event that was part of the Seminole County Centennial Celebration. Mark Miller created a curriculum for the teaching gardens in his internship at the PHC. His scripts offer another area where the PHC will be able to expand its programming to both fourth-graders and the general public. This semester, David Mole is producing programming for Girl Scout events and he is designing exhibits for several Seminole Centennial educational projects including the naming of the Senator clone, the History Fair, and the Centennial Celebration.


PA G E 6 O F 24

GR ADUAT E IN T ERN S HI PS

While all of the undergraduate interns have been invaluable for the work they have accomplished, graduate interns have been able to complete complex and advanced projects as part of their coursework. Each intern gained knowledge and experience through their work at the PHC that they could not acquire purely through classroom instruction. The PHC builds on the History Department’s philosophy to support the study of history broadly across time and space while encouraging students to adopt cutting-edge methodology.

C U R R I C U L U M DE V E L O P M E N T - BE T H A N Y D I C K E N S ( S U12)

Last summer, Bethany Dickens created a complete Summer Camp package, including curriculum, budget, and marketing. This package formed the basis of the PHC’s 2013 Summer Camp which we will host in June. In addition, she created new 4

th grade scripts for: the 1902 Classroom, Grandma’s Attic, the Native American Exhibit,

the Pioneer Exhibit, the Photographic Essay, and the Geography Laboratory. These scripts have provided a template for the Center’s new curriculum as well as for tours to the general public.

EX H I B I T S A N D E D U C A T I O N A L PR O G R A M M I N G - K E L L I O R D O N I A (S U 12)

During her internship, Kelli Ordonia assessed the PHC’s exhibits and programming. Prior to July 2012, the Student Museum’s exhibits were taught primarily by volunteer docents and offered minimal interpretation through labels for a general audience. Ms. Ordonia was tasked with assessing the 4

th grade curriculum, identifying the Sunshine

State Standards each exhibit area met, and creating a plan of action for continuing that programming while creating interpretation appropriate for the general public. Her work resulted in an assessment as well as a three-phase recommendation for re-working the exhibits and programming. When microbial remediation resulted in the complete dismantling of the Grandma’s Attic exhibit in mid-July, she began implementing one part of her Phase I recommendations by re-working the exhibit. New scripts and activities were created and we began teaching Ms. Ordonia’s new exhibit in early September 2012.

PH O T O C O L L E C T I O N RE S E A R C H A N D MA N A G E M E N T - DA V I D MO R T O N (F12)

One of the goals of the PHC is to incorporate new media into its programming and initiatives that are relevant and useful for its public audiences. In August 2012, David

Morton began working in the PHC’s collection as a photo archivist. He assessed, reorganized, and rehoused the museum’s photographic collection. As part of his internship, he also digitized the museum’s General Photographic Collection and created a digital exhibit titled “The Origins of Celery City” to be made available through the RICHES Mosaic Interface.

C O L L E C T I O N A D M I N I S T R A T I O N A N D PL A N N I N G - JO H N S E T T L E (S13)

As an administrative archivist intern, John Settle is currently working with volunteer and part-time staff to create an administrative structure for the museum’s collections. During the building’s years as the Student Museum, the primary purposes of the collections were to function as teaching tools and to raise community awareness. The wider audience the PHC engages has required a re-assessment of how to use the collections. During fall 2012, a Museum Assessment Program Committee conducted a self-study of the collections and its stewardship. Mr. Settle is currently building on that self-study to create a new collections policy and set of procedures. He participated in the on-site visit of the Museum Assessment Program's external consultant on March 18 and 19. In addition, he has acted as a liaison between the collections staff and his graduate class, who conducted the History Harvest on March 2 (see below).


PA G E 7 O F 24

CLASS PROJECT S

AN A L Y S I S A N D C E N T E R PL A N N I N G - HIS 5067 IN T R O D U C T I O N T O P U B L I C H I S T O R Y (S12)

As part of their coursework during spring semester 2012, the Introduction to Public History graduate course students conducted an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the Students Museum and proposed a plan of action for transforming it into the PHC. They assessed the interpretation, educational programming, collections, exhibits, community stakeholders, and historic preservation at the Student Museum and suggested a phased series of steps for creating the PHC, even before UCF signed the lease for the building. Analyzing the museum’s potential helped them to hone their skills in public history research and assessment. Many of their suggestions have been implemented – including a solution to ADA parking issues.

S T R A T E G I C PL A N N I N G - F L O R I D A IN S T I T U T E O F TE C H N O L O G Y MBA C A P S T O N E PR O J E C T S

As part of the Florida Institute of Technology’s (FIT) MBA program for Lockheed Martin executives, students are required to complete a capstone project. Two groups of students in this program have conducted extensive research on the PHC to create strategic plans for both the PHC and the teaching gardens. Their reports are providing the foundation for the center’s strategic plan. Strategic Plan for the Public History Center (Su12)

The first group of MBA students, working together as the Strategic Research Consultants (SRC) during the summer 2012, generated a strategic recommendation for implementing UCF’s vision for the PHC. Their recommendation focused on education partnerships with the community and with local businesses. Their approach is outlined in three phases with strategic, measurable milestones designed to judge progress and aide in the decision making process for UCF. Strategic Plan for Teaching Gardens (F12)

As part of their capstone project, FIT MBA students in the fall 2012 class designed a strategic plan to strengthen the educational experience at the PHC by integrating the existing exhibits and gardens to achieve sustainability and scalability. While their plan covered numerous observations and objectives, the main goals and recommended strategies focused on how to improve the educational experience, how to add unique educational value by integrating existing exhibits and gardens, and how to conduct various fund-raising events to achieve scalability and sustainability.

EX H I B I T RE S E A R C H A N D RE V I S I O N - AMH 3580 N A T I V E AM E R I C A N H I S T O R Y (F12)

During fall semester 2012, students in AMH 3580 Native American History conducted research and proposed a series of revisions for the PHC’s Native American exhibit. By working on this project, students gained a better understanding of Florida’s Native American cultural groups. They also presented recommendations to improve the exhibit’s displays and interpretation for audiences who may have a limited knowledge of Florida’s Native American history. Their work included conducting on-site orientations and workshops, evaluating the current interpretation of the exhibit, identifying strengths and areas of opportunity, and conveying their findings through an in-class presentation and written group analyses explaining their recommendations. The project enabled them to think about how to present the information they were learning in their class to a broad audience. Although not yet implemented, the PHC hopes to incorporate some of their suggestions into revisions to the exhibit.


PA G E 8 O F 24

TE A C H I N G RE S O U R C E S - C O L L E G E O F ED U C A T I O N

In November 2012, Lee-Ann Spalding, an instructor in UCF’s School of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, took a group of students from the College of Education to the PHC. Spalding now includes regular field trips to the PHC as a part of her coursework so that students can learn about the teaching resources their community can provide. While there, they learn how to teach using primary sources – original historical evidence. Spalding said she expects the students to use their experiences from the PHC during their teaching internships. Several of her students have continued to work as volunteers, developing curriculum for our traveling trunk exhibits.

H I S T O R Y HA R V E S T (F12/S13)

History Harvest nicely embodies all of the priorities of our vision for the PHC – hands-on education, cutting-edge research, and community collaboration. UCF students engaged the community in preserving and interpreting its past while learning how to do public history research. At the same time, individual community members learned about digital preservation. The exhibit that will result from the event will become a part of the PHC’s interpretation used to teach K-12 students and the general public. It will also become available to a wider audience through the RICHES Mosaic Interface, our innovative digital repository.

During fall semester 2012, students in HIS 5067 Introduction to Public History met regularly at the PHC. One of their assignments for the class was to create a comprehensive plan for this spring’s History Harvest. A cross between History Detectives and the Antiques Roadshow, History Harvest is an event that invites community members to bring their memorabilia to the PHC where their objects are digitized. Students in the fall class first researched the history of the school building housing the PHC through primary sources, archival research, and oral histories. Based on the information they gathered, they created a logistics and marketing plan for carrying out the event. Their final packages were presented to Dr. Scot French, whose spring graduate class conducted the History Harvest at the PHC. Graduate students in AMH 6429 Local and Community History this spring conducted UCF’s first History Harvest on March 2, 2013. The class invited community members who have photos, school projects, report cards, and other memorabilia related to the building that now houses the PHC or other schools close by to bring them to the center to be scanned or photographed. E-Z Photo Scan powered by I/o Trak, a local company, digitized items while students conducted oral histories with the people who brought them in. During the remainder of the semester the class transcribed the oral histories, wrote metadata for the scanned images, and created an exhibit that interprets the story of the building within its larger historical context. The exhibit will be displayed in the entrance to the PHC and the digital images they collected will be available for researchers through the RICHES Mosaic Interface.


PA G E 9 O F 24

FUTURE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND PARTNERSHIPS In its first year, the educational programming at the PHC expanded beyond the disciplines and institutions first imagined when the project was proposed. We are already planning new partnerships and opportunities beginning this summer and will follow leads presented by the strategic planning capstone projects and deans who participated in a retreat Provost Waldrop held at the PHC in November.

UNIVERSITY-LEVEL PROGRAMMING

During summer semester 2013, Josue Robles and Jesse Kamm, Instructors at Seminole State College, will integrate projects at the PHC into their classes in Historic Preservation and Construction Management. Robles’ students will work in groups to design plans for restoring the building. At the end of the semester, they will present their proposals to stakeholders at the PHC. Kamm’s co-operative interns will conduct feasibility studies and engage in design reviews with Robles’ students. The construction students will view these design ideas from a different perspective and will offer advice and considerations regarding constructability and other practical matters. Additionally, they will research historic renovations and interview practicing architects and contractors that are skilled in historic renovations. The end product will be a report on their findings and recommendations for phasing and future plans.

Allen Watters, Interim Director of UCF’s new Architecture B.D. will integrate projects at the PHC into his summer semester 2013 Architecture Design 8 class. Students will actively engage with the PHC as part of an on-site design project. During the semester, they will collect data through a number of methods to inform their design decisions from analysis to proposal. Beginning in the fall 2013 semester, Watters will offer an elective course to upper division UCF Architecture students allowing them to actively learn the methods and products of Historical Preservation as it relates to the built environment. Students enrolled in the course will produce, semester-by-semester, a set of working architectural documents for the PHC's building. Students from UCF’s chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) are currently designing a heating and cooling system to deal with climate control and moisture issues. In addition, the PHC will expand its partnership with the College of Education’s social science education students who are participating in the HAPPY Hour showcase by giving tours of the PHC so that they can learn how to teach history outside of the classroom. HAPPY (Having Active Participation Prepares You) Hour is the UCF College of Education’s Professional Learning for Teacher Candidates initiative that supplements coursework and field experience in training future teachers. HAPPY Hour underscores the importance of life-long learning and cultivating professional and personal networks.

SUMMER DISCOVERY CAMP

The Public History Center will host its inaugural Summer Discovery Camp June 3- 28. Campers will experience history in a new way as each week focuses on a specific theme. The four-week program offers History Detective Camp, Pioneer Camp, Theater Camp and Thrill Seeker Camp for current 2

nd through 5

th graders. The camp will further expand

programming and provide additional funding opportunities.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION Since its inception, the PHC has been dedicated to providing opportunities for learning and access to the past through public interaction and engaging workshops. The Center aims to become a community hub, a public place


PA G E 10 O F 24

for local people to gather and collaborate with neighbors, friends, and relatives, by participating in hands-on educational activities and by developing innovative projects that serve the interests of the community. Whether visitors want to learn about the region’s history or discover how to digitally preserve a family member’s treasured memories, the PHC is there to meet their needs.

COMMUNITY EVENTS Our top priority this year was to raise community awareness about the PHC’s educational programming and vision. To that end, the Center hosted numerous community events. These included fun family events and programs to spread awareness of the new initiatives of the PHC. Only through continuous involvement with the Central Florida community will the PHC remain relevant for years to come.

BELL R IN GIN G CER EMO NY

On August 13, 2012, the PHC hosted the annual bell ringing ceremony “Building on Tradition,” which brought together local politicians, SCPS officials and school board members, UCF faculty members, and local families to celebrate the first day of new school year. Following the bell ringing, tours of the PHC were available to introduce members of the community to the PHC. The 150 people in attendance far exceeded the 50-60 guests who participated in previous years.

NEI GHBO R HOOD BLOCK PART Y

On September 29, 2012, the PHC hosted a Neighborhood Block Party to introduce immediate neighbors to the building’s new purpose. The event coincided with our participation in Smithsonian Museum Day – a nation-wide event where the Smithsonian advertises museums that are open for free to encourage people to explore their collections. Our Neighborhood Block Party included family-friendly educational games and activities for children and guided tours of the exhibits. Winn Dixie and Wal-Mart co-sponsored the event and provided refreshments and supplies.

FRIGHT SCHO OL

On October 19, 2012, the PHC hosted Fright School, an event that taught children from ages six to sixteen how to stage their own haunted house. Sessions included opportunities for learning about acting, costumes and props, lighting, make-up, logistics, and writing ghost stories.

PUMPKINFEST

The goal of PumpkinFest was to create community awareness of exhibits and program offerings and to develop relationships with local businesses. Costumed UCF students hosted visitors with informative presentations on the history of the Seminole pumpkin, led crafts activities, and guided tours. Wal-Mart sponsored the PumpkinFest.

OLD FAS HION ED CHRI S TMAS

Old Fashioned Christmas was held on December 1, 2012, co-sponsored by Citizen’s Bank and in partnership with the Sanford Historic Trust. This event for the entire community highlighted the building’s heritage with holiday-themed tours of exhibits. More than 300 people visited the site – either to tour the building or to pick up tickets for the Sanford Historic Trust’s Holiday tour of Homes.


PA G E 11 O F 24

SEMINO LE CO UNT Y CENTENNIAL

Seminole County will turn 100 years old on April 25, 2013; to celebrate this centennial benchmark, the county is hosting “Seminole Celebrates – A Century of Success.” The 100-day celebration began January 16, 2013, and will conclude with the “Centennial Festival” on April 20, 2013. The PHC is be collaborating with the county and SCPS to host several events throughout this celebration. ED U C A T O R ’S O P E N H O U S E

On January 24, teachers, administrators, and staff participated in a complimentary interactive event and workshop. The Educator’s Open House gave educators a chance to take a tour of the PHC, experience hands-on learning with history, collaborate with peers and develop partnership opportunities, and support the Centennial Celebration through their curricula.

BL A C K H I S T O R Y MO N T H EV E N T

On February 9, the PHC opened the Crooms Academy Alumni Association’s Exhibit with a program honoring alumni in conjunction with the Goldsboro Welcome Center’s screening of UCF Director of African American Studies Anthony Major’s documentary, "Goldsboro: An American Story." The Seminole High School Gospel Choir performed at the PHC in honor of the occasion. The Crooms Academy Exhibit documents the history of the first school offering an education past 10th grade for black students in Sanford. Approximately 100 people participated in the event.

C E N T E N N I A L PA S S P O R T

From January 19 to April 20, families will be exploring Seminole County’s heritage sites, including the PHC, on Centennial Saturdays using an exclusive passport. Each site they visit will stamp their passport upon entering as proof of visitation. By visiting at least six sites, guests’ names will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win prizes. TU R N I N G PO I N T S I N S E M I N O L E C O U N T Y H I S T O R Y WR I T I N G C O N T E S T

In partnership with SCPS, the PHC hosted the Centennial Celebration’s Turning Points in Seminole County History Writing Contest that was open to all Seminole County students in grades four through twelve. Students were encouraged to submit a poem, drama, memoir, or expository piece using historical evidence. UCF history students participated as judges. The winners for each category were announced March 9, 2013 at the SCPS History Fair. S E N A T O R ME M O R I A L A N D C L O N E DE D I C A T I O N

After “The Senator” burned down in January 2012, community members have sought to commemorate this remarkable landmark of Seminole County. For 3,500 years, this massive Cypress tree was witness to the history of Seminole County from the time of the Native Americans to the present, when thousands of residents and tourists would walk through the wetlands of Seminole County each year to gaze at this artifact of nature. Due to the amazing work of science teachers, small limbs from the Senator were grafted into root stock of other cypress trees. To honor the Senator and celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Seminole County, one of these offspring is coming home to Big Tree Park. Elementary school students in grades 3-5 have been invited to participate in a contest to name the new cypress tree. The winning student and school were recognized at the dedication on March 2, and David Mole, UCF intern at the PHC, will revise the current Senator exhibit to inform visitors about the new tree.


PA G E 12 O F 24

C E N T E N N I A L F E S T I V A L

To wrap up the festivities for “Seminole Celebrates – A Century of Success,” the county will be hosting a community-wide “Centennial Festival” on April 20, 2013. The Seminole County Centennial Festival will feature not only local food and agricultural vendors, businesses, arts and education expos, entertainment, but also community and historic organizations including the PHC. UCF history students hosted the PHC’s exhibit.

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS In addition to family-focused events, the PHC offered a series of workshops aimed at teaching public history or other professional skills. In the next year we plan to expand our educational offerings to include gardening workshops in partnership with the University of Florida’s Seminole County Extension and heritage craft workshops.

“D IGIT AL VS . PHY SI CAL PR ES ERV ATIO N”

On March 2, the PHC held History Harvest, a unique, interactive story-telling/preservation experience for teachers, staff, and alumni of public and private schools in Sanford and its communities. Attendees brought their school-related items or memorabilia and learned how to preserve personal and family collections. They also shared their memories of teaching and learning in Sanford. As part of the event, Rick Lippert, president of E-Z Photo Scan, presented “Digital vs. Physical Preservation... What's the Difference? Getting Started Organizing Photos, ABCs of Organizing Software, Scanning, and Archival Backup.”

CENTR AL FLORI DA CER TIFI ED LOCAL GOV ERN MENT TR AININ G WO RK SHO P

On April 10 and 11, the City of Sanford and the Sanford Historic Trust hosted a regional historic preservation workshop at the PHC to train historic preservation staff, board members, and volunteers currently serving Florida Certified Local Governments. Funded by a grant from the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, the workshop provided hands-on training intended to furnish basic knowledge of proper preservation methods. Educational sessions included mobile workshops focusing on historic resources in Sanford.

STEV E BERR Y WRI T ER S ’ WO RK SHO P

In partnership with the UCF Book Festival and Friends of the Student Museum, the PHC sponsored a Writer’s Workshop and Reception with New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry at the Morgridge International Reading Center on April 12. Berry shared personal instruction on fundamental and advanced techniques in writing in his presentation, “Lessons from a Bestseller.” Participants included history and creative writing faculty and students as well as a broad range of writers from the community. Berry has agreed to donate the revenues from workshop registration to support historic preservation at the PHC.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Volunteers are key collaborators in every aspect of our programming. Volunteers played an active role in educational programming for the SCPS Student Museum, especially as budget cuts began to impact the museum. They continue to provide 4

th grade fieldtrips, act as guides during events and for the general public, create

educational programming, re-work exhibits, process and catalogue the museum and archival collections, maintain the gardens, and assist with fund-raising for the restoration of the building. Since July 2012, the PHC has:

Created and implemented a volunteer program that includes monthly training sessions Recruited high-school and college students into its pool of volunteers Facilitated over 3200 hours worked by 28 volunteers

The PHC plans to expand its volunteer program next year by doing additional recruitment in the community and by creating a tiered program that rewards levels of service.


PA G E 13 O F 24

CO MMUNI TY PART NER S HIP S

Becoming America’s leading partnership university is one of UCF’s top goals. Partnerships are also fundamental to the PHC’s success. They assist us in linking community and academic resources, expanding our vision and audience, and finding sources of funding. As with so much of UCF’s programming, our partners provide a collaborative approach to innovative, educational experiences and cutting-edge historical research. The following are a few of the key partnerships we have formed.

C ITY O F SANFO R D

The City of Sanford is a crucial collaborator with the PHC. Christine Dalton, Sanford’s Historic Preservation Officer, brought UCF and the SCPS together to form our partnership. She also received a grant to run a workshop for historic preservation professionals working for Certified Local Governments. Most recently the PHC and its relationship with the city was recognized as part of the state-wide award Sanford won from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation in the category of preservation education and media. In addition, Jeff Triplet, the city’s mayor, and several city commissioners have participated in community events and programming. Because the city of Sanford is a Certified Local Government and the building is within the city’s residential historic district, the PHC and the city can partner to apply for future restoration grants.

SAN FOR D H IS TORI C TR US T

The mission of the Sanford Historic Trust is to evaluate, protect, and preserve the architectural and historical heritage of the city through education and stewardship. As part of their effort to highlight the city’s heritage, the Sanford Historic Trust included the PHC in their widely attended annual Holiday Tour of Homes. This past year, the tour featured gardens as well as beautifully-decorated homes and historic buildings on the daytime driving/walking tour. All guests visited the PHC to purchase their tickets and begin the tour. Most recently, the PHC was chosen for the Sanford Historic Trust’s award for cultural preservation. The award will be presented at their annual ceremony on May 3.

UNIVERSI TY O F FLORI DA ’S SEMINO LE COUN TY EXT ENSIO N

Master gardeners who train at the University of Florida’s Seminole County Extension are key partners in the teaching gardens at the PHC. They volunteer to plant seeds, maintain the plant beds, and harvest crops from the gardens that are incorporated into the curriculum for 4

th grade fieldtrips. Students learn about the “three sisters”

in the Native American garden, what it was like for Florida’s pioneers to raise their own food and herbs, which plants are native to Florida, and much more when they visit the gardens as part of their visit. We are working with

the County Extension to host a series of gardening workshops at the PHC beginning in fall 2013.

SEMINO LE CO UNT Y

The Seminole County Government was a key partner in the Centennial Celebration events hosted by the PHC this spring. County commissioners funded and attended the Educator’s Open House and Black History Month event at the PHC, in addition to the other events in which we participated throughout the spring. Commissioners

also have regularly attended our community events.

RICHES™ OF CENT RAL FLORI DA

A foundational part of UCF’s public history program, RICHES™ projects are interwoven with many of the PHC’s activities and programs. RICHES™ (Regional Initiative for Collecting the Histories, Experiences and Stories) of Central Florida is an umbrella program housing interdisciplinary public history projects that bring together


PA G E 14 O F 24

different departments at UCF with profit and non-profit sectors of the community. By facilitating research that records and presents the stories of communities, businesses, and institutions in Central Florida, RICHES™ seeks to provide the region with a deeper sense of its heritage. The RICHES Mosaic Interface™ houses content created through the RICHES™ projects and links to sources on Central Florida available from other repositories around the state. Much of the collection at the PHC has been digitized to become part of the RICHES Mosaic Interface™.

E-Z PHOTO SCAN POW ER ED BY I /O TR AK

E-Z Photo Scan, powered by i/o Trak, is a local company that has made an art of managing documents since 1995. After scanning hundreds of millions of content-sensitive paper documents, the group was formed to offer best-in-class solutions for scanning pictures and printed memories. The company partnered with the PHC by providing staff, expertise and equipment to scan photos and documents brought in by community members to the History Harvest on March 2.

C ITI ZENS BANK OF FLO RIDA

Citizens Bank of Florida sponsored An Old Fashioned Christmas by providing refreshments and supplies.

WA L-MART

Wal-Mart sponsored the Neighborhood Block Party and PumpkinFest by contributing refreshments and supplies.

W INN D I XI E

Winn Dixie sponsored the Neighborhood Block Party by contributing refreshments and supplies.

ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Managing the physical and financial resources of the PHC is fundamental to supporting its mission priorities. Our goal is to foster a closer connection between the center’s innovative educational programming and the community to encourage greater public engagement with the region’s past. We envision that the PHC will become a place where students and faculty can conduct ground-breaking research that connects the local community to global events, where innovation will provide cutting-edge educational

programs for students of all ages, and where collaboration with local and regional community members will contribute to a better understanding of how our pasts shape our present. The building, its collections, and its exhibits are all keys to the success of our vision, which expands considerably the role the Student Museum played in supporting SCPS’s 4

th grade curriculum.

BUILDING The 111 year-old school building housing the PHC is the cornerstone of our programming and mission. In addition to providing a learning center for K-12 and university students, a research facility for scholars, and a public space for the community, the building stands as a valued testament to architectural history and historic preservation. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and on the state’s list of most endangered historic sites in 2009, the PHC’s building serves as a focal point of cultural heritage in Central Florida.


PA G E 15 O F 24

Between January and July 2012, UCF employees surveyed the structure and collections to assess the immediate steps necessary for expanding the building’s use. Reports from UCF Facilities and Katherine Marra, a part-time collections consultant, prioritized immediate action items. From July to October, SCPS and UCF took the following steps to address concerns and stabilize the building:

Installation of ADA parking Installation of ADA restroom facilities Microbial remediation Cleaning of air conditioning system Repair of roof leaks Tenting for termites

BUI LDIN G ADVISO RY COMMITT EE

On July 31, 2012 an advisory committee made up of PHC staff, SCPS facilities employees, UCF facilities employees, members of the Friends of the Student Museum, Sanford’s historic preservation officer, and local architects met to discuss the building’s needs and how to phase its restoration. All agreed that after the short-term issues of air quality and ADA accommodations were addressed, long-term needs begin with the building’s envelope. Significant issues include replacing the roof, finding a solution to moisture intrusion through the walls, and addressing the heating and cooling systems that need to be updated to accommodate the historic nature of the building.

AMERI CAN SO CI ET Y FO R HEATIN G , REFRI GER ATION , AND A IR-CONDI TIONING EN GIN EERS

(ASHRAE)

In September 2012, members of UCF’s chapter of ASHRAE adopted the PHC as a design project. Mechanical Engineering students are working under the mentorship of Central Florida’s chapter of ASHRAE to design a heating and cooling system that will accommodate the building’s historic construction. Their goal is to complete their design by end of summer 2013.

TECHNO LO GY FEE GRANT

The Technology Fee Grant is offered by UCF each year to promote student learning through enhanced technology and digital media. In September the PHC applied for a UCF Tech Fee Grant to provide basic technology in the two classroom spaces and auditorium and to create a digital classroom to provide students with a hands-on learning space for creating exhibits and digital archives. Our application was declined but we are currently working to revise and resubmit it in the next round of grants in September 2013. Applying for the grant provided an opportunity for exploring creative solutions to refitting the historic structure with the appropriate technology to support university-level research.

COLLECTIONS The role of the museum and archival collections at the PHC has expanded considerably from supporting 4th grade student field trips to encompassing a wider audience. They now cater to local community members, K-12 and university students, and researchers interested in local and regional history. Like the building, the collections are essential for carrying out the PHC’s mission. They provide the artifacts that facilitate hands-on educational programs for students and visitors on local history, Florida social studies, and public history methods. By encouraging students


PA G E 16 O F 24

and visitors to interact with items in the exhibits, the collections provide a tangible connection to the past that moves them beyond the classroom experience. They also furnish the means through which students learn archival processing, community and local history, documentary editing, historic preservation, historic site administration, museum studies, heritage tourism, and oral history. They play an integral part in promoting every aspect of the PHC. The collections at the PHC contain items related to local history and the history of education. All items are cataloged in PastPerfect, the leading collection management software for over 8000 organizations around the world. These catalogues are separated into one of four categories:

Archives (118 items total): Items including legal documents, postcards, scholarly studies, personal manuscripts by teachers, certificates, and awards that the Student Museum has been given by other schools.

Library (438 items total): Publications relating to the themes taught in the exhibits, historical fiction, American Girl publications, and other reference materials. Each publication is cataloged into the database and assigned a Dewey Decimal number.

Objects (867 items total): Any artifacts or items having to do with local and Florida history. The majority of the items listed as objects are on display throughout the PHC. Items are entered into the database at the item level. Each item has the appropriate accession number written on it prior to going out on display.

Photos (856 items total): All photographic items of Sanford and other outlying local communities. Photographs are entered into the database at the item level. Photographic items include color prints, black and white prints, and negatives.

COLLECTIO NS CAR E AN D MAN AGEMEN T

During the initial phases of the partnership, the greatest concerns for the collection had to do with its care and management. An initial survey indicated that the volunteer staff of the Student Museum – especially Shirley Muse – had succeeded admirably in cataloging a significant portion of the collection. However, a lack of stable climate control and leaking roofs created significant issues with moisture and temperature fluctuation – both conditions that cause deterioration in historic artifacts and documents. In addition, air intrusion through deteriorated window sash allowed for pests in the collections. Therefore, first steps to stabilize the collection included:

Microbial remediation Running air conditioning units and dehumidifiers 24 hours/7 days a week Repairing roof leaks in collections storage areas Tenting for termites

Following early steps to stabilize the collection, PHC staff, students and volunteers have continued to assess and process the museum and archival collections.

MUS EUM ASS ESS MEN T PROGR AM – CO LLECTIO NS ST EW AR DS HIP

In June 2012 UCF and SCPS staff worked together to successfully apply for the Museum Assessment Program in collection stewardship that is sponsored by the Institute for Library and Museum Services and the American Alliance of Museum. This grant program does not award money but provides educational resources for a self-study to assess collections stewardship and it pays for a consultant to conduct an on-site visit of a museum’s collections and make recommendations for improvements (valued at $4,000). A committee of stakeholders representing SCPS, UCF, volunteers, Friends of the Student Museum, and the community met regularly from August through November 2012 to complete the self-study. The assessment focuses on collections policies, access, documentation, and collections care within the context of the museum’s general operations. Holly Beasley Wait, our consultant, visited the PHC on March 18-19, 2013 and conducted interviews with all of the stakeholders


PA G E 17 O F 24

represented on the committee as well as PHC staff and volunteers. She will present a report with recommendations for how to implement best practices in collections stewardship as we move forward.

LIFE GR ANT

In October 2012, PHC staff successfully submitted a grant proposal to the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) at UCF requesting funds to purchase archival storage supplies. One of the most important steps in preserving museum and archival collections is to house them in appropriate acid-free boxes and file folders. Moisture fluctuation in the building had caused the metal edges of many storage boxes to rust. Other artifacts, documents, and photos are not stored in archival-quality boxes. The $1,200 received from LIFE has permitted UCF students to begin housing artifacts that were not in boxes and re-house those in rusty containers. While completion of the collections processing will take significant additional funding and many more hours, at least some of the most fragile artifacts, images, and documents have been stabilized. In the process, UCF interns and student volunteers are learning the skills of archivists and museum curators.

NEH SUST AINI NG CULTUR AL HERIT AGE CO LLECTION S GRAN T

In early December UCF and SCPS staff worked jointly to prepare a proposal that SCPS submitted for an NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections grant. This grant provides resources for creating or implementing a collections preservation plan. Because the building housing the PHC was never intended to house a museum collection, the air quality and storage systems do not meet preservation standards. As a result, the collections have suffered from moisture and pest damage. We proposed to bring together HVAC, architectural, and conservation consultants with the $40,000 from the planning side of this grant. Deliverables will include phased plans and budgets for future work. Notification of award will be in September 2013 for a grant funding period beginning October 2013 through September 2014. Should we successfully complete the planning phase of the grant, we can apply for an implementation grant of up to $350,000.

AR CHIVAL ADMI NIST R ATION IN TERN SHI P – JO HN SETT LE

During spring 2013 UCF graduate intern John Settle has been working with part-time curator Betty Sample to build on the MAP self-study in order to gain intellectual control of the collections. Because the original collection at the PHC evolved to meet the needs of the Student Museum’s teaching mission, it was not organized as a typical museum or archival collection. Consequently, Mr. Settle and Ms. Sample have established an organization for the collection and Mr. Settle is creating a collections policy and the appropriate documentation needed to care for it according to best practices in the field of museum and archival collection management. Through MAP, the LIFE grant, Mr. Settle’s internship, and the work of several committed volunteers, the PHC is gaining both intellectual and physical control of the collection. Volunteers (including high school and UCF students) have continued to catalog the collection and are now re-housing it as well. We are establishing guidelines and procedures for how to process the collections and make them accessible in a cohesive and consistent manner.

EXHIBITS The collections are a crucial part of the exhibits, which were created in 1984 when the building was transformed from a working grammar school to the Seminole County Public Schools Student Museum and Social Studies Center. The mission for the Student Museum is nicely embodied in the motto: “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.” This philosophy and the original goals of the Student Museum fit beautifully with our vision for the PHC. The original goals were:


PA G E 18 O F 24

To foster within students and visitors a sense of identity with Florida and Seminole County through exploration and participatory activities.

To increase cultural and environmental awareness, knowledge and responsibility, and to engender feelings of protectiveness for our heritage and environment.

To interpret through a multidisciplinary approach the interrelationships and interdependence among people, our heritage, and Florida’s fragile environment.

To give students and visitors of differing learning levels and modalities a variety of multi-sensory educational opportunities in a history setting not feasible for replication.

The staff, students, and volunteers working in the PHC’s exhibits continue to look for ways to enhance this focus on interactive learning. The building currently has eight main exhibit areas.

NATIV E AMERI CAN EX HIBI T

Visitors step 500 years back in time to a Timucuan village in the Native American exhibit. Students are encouraged to discover the social and cultural practices of Florida’s Native Americans as they

examine the architecture, food, clothing, and artifacts Timucuan people used every day.

P IONEER EX HIBI T

In this exhibit, visitors explore what pioneer life was like as they enter a log cabin, a typical home of Florida’s past.

They experience the stability and effectiveness of the cabin, examine pioneer tools to grasp the trials of the past, and analyze the contents of the peddler's wagon to discover trade and commerce in nineteenth-century Florida

TURN O F THE CENT UR Y CLAS S ROO M

Students enter a school classroom as it existed in 1902 when Sanford High School was built. In this exhibit, visitors acknowledge the differences between the past and the present as they become a

turn-of-the-century student sitting in wooden desks, writing on a slate board, and reading from a McGuffey’s reader.

GR AN DMA ’S ATTI C

In Grandma’s Attic, visitors experience a day in the life of a child by stepping into Grandma’s attic and exploring household items from the early 1900s.

They learn about daily chores by grinding coffee and churning butter and compare life in the early twentieth century with today by exploring hand-made toys and clothing.

CROO MS ACADEMY EX HIBIT

Visitors to this exhibit explore the history of Crooms Academy/Crooms High School and the role of the community in providing a safe haven from a chaotic world.

Founded in 1926 by Professor Joseph N. Croom, Crooms Academy was Seminole County’s first high school for African American students. Students interpret school memorabilia, photographs, ephemera, and school yearbooks provided by the school’s alumni to make connections between the school and its community.

GEO GRAPHY LA B

In this interactive laboratory, students explore the influence geography has on history, culture, and society.


PA G E 19 O F 24

Visitors learn about topography from a large floor map of Florida and find their places on a grid to understand latitude and longitude.

They view areas of the world currently experiencing night and day through the Geochron and learn about geology and its importance in understanding the past by participating in a fossil dig.

PHOTO GR AP HI C ES SAY LOBBY

The photographic essay in the PHC’s lobby provides an opportunity to become junior history detectives as visitors interpret local Seminole County History.

Students learn to analyze photos, gain practice using primary source materials, and make inferences about changing land use and economic development as they complete an activity that teaches them how to conduct historical research to interpret the past.

TEACHIN G GAR DENS

The creation of a partnership with the Seminole County Extension Service’s Master Gardner Program, the teaching gardens at the PHC offer visitors the opportunity to learn about Central Florida’s land and agriculture.

Students learn about Native American agriculture in the Three Sisters’ Garden, explore a pioneer garden, connect geography to gardens representing different parts of the world, and learn about Florida’s native plants.

EXPANSIO N AN D PLAN NED CHANGES

Since July 2012, students and volunteers have worked to update and expand the PHC’s exhibits and interpretative programming. Our first steps have been to create scripts for 4

th grade field trips and to expand tour information

for new audiences.

TE A C H I N G S C R I P T S

One of the first changes to be implemented was the creation of scripts for teaching each exhibit. During her internship in summer 2012, UCF graduate student Bethany Dickens created 4

th grade scripts for each of the

exhibits. Each script points to the state standard the exhibit’s interpretation should meet, suggests main points to be covered, and outlines activities to accompany each tour. By creating written scripts and setting up a training program for volunteers and students teaching the exhibits, PHC has increased the quality and consistency of the interpretation provided to SCPS and other 4

th graders on field trips.

In addition, staff members have created scripts for three new audiences we now serve:

Adult scripts tailored for members of the public who visit the museum.

Mixed audience scripts used to interpret the exhibits for family groups or groups of visitors representing varied ages.

Public History scripts created for Seminole State College education students and UCF students and faculty who are learning about how to teach students with artifacts or in a museum setting.

G R A N D M A ’S AT T I C

The first exhibit to undergo significant renovation was Grandma’s Attic. Because the exhibit needed to be dismantled in order to clean the artifacts in it, UCF graduate intern Kelli Ordonia implemented phase one of her proposed renovations for the exhibit. Volunteers repainted the room and Ms. Ordonia designed new exhibit


PA G E 20 O F 24

spaces and wrote new labels. She also worked with other interns to develop a revised script and activities for the room that now focuses on a day in the life of a child growing up in early 20

th century Sanford. This summer Ms. Ordonia

will continue working on the next phases of revising the exhibit as a part of her Master’s Thesis project.

C R O O M S AC A D E M Y AL U M N I AS S O C I A T I O N ’S EX H I B I T

During fall semester 2012, UCF undergraduate intern Kwame Simmons developed a 4

th grade script for the Crooms Academy Alumni Association’s exhibit. In the past, the Crooms exhibit

was opened only for special occasions when the alumni association hosted events and tours. Mr. Simmons conducted oral histories to learn about the history of the school and the exhibit. He then created a 4

th grade script

as well as a documentary to integrate into the exhibit. He worked with the Crooms Academy Alumni Association leadership to interpret the room and to create hands-on learning activities for visitors. The expanded exhibit and tour was opened to the public on Feb. 9 as a part of Seminole County’s Centennial Celebration. Current plans are to offer the exhibit as a new field trip option to SCPS students beginning fall 2013.

G A R D E N S A T T H E PHC

During fall semester 2012 UCF undergraduate intern Mark Miller worked with master gardeners from the Seminole County Extension to create 4

th grade and adult scripts for

the teaching gardens. Currently teachers have the option of including a visit to the gardens as part of the interpretation of several exhibits. Mr. Miller created a separate, stand-alone tour of the gardens. He also compiled the necessary research for creating extensive interpretive labels so that visitors can learn from the gardens without a guide.

We will be working with the master gardeners on the label project in the near future.

EN T R A N C E HA L L E X H I B I T

Based on the materials collected at the History Harvest on March 2, students in Dr. Scot French’s graduate seminar in Local and Community History are creating an exhibit for the front entrance. Their plan is to document the history of the building while telling the story of the History Harvest. In doing so, their exhibit will contextualize the building and its mission for arriving visitors. The new exhibit will be installed by the end of spring semester.

C L O N E O F T H E S E N A TO R EX H I B I T

This spring during the Seminole County Centennial Celebration, students proposed names for the new tree the county planted to replace the Senator – an ancient cypress that burned last year. Undergraduate intern David Mole is updating and expanding the PHC’s exhibit about the Senator. In the process of doing so, Mr. Mole is creating a prototype for how to re-design the hallway exhibits at the PHC. His exhibit will be installed by April 26.

TE A C H I N G TR U N K S

Throughout the past 9 months a series of volunteers have worked to inventory the 40+ teaching trunks that belong to the Student Museum. Currently two UCF Education student volunteers are working with Ilene Haney, Social Studies Specialist for SCPS, to develop teaching curriculum for 12 of the trunks. When completed, the trunks will provide a “museum to go” for students from various grade levels.

AU D I O TO U R S

Over the winter, UCF graduate student and volunteer Lindsay Turnbull created scripts for audio tours of most exhibit spaces at the PHC. Staff members are now working with other volunteers to record the tours, which will


PA G E 21 O F 24

offer additional interpretation to visitors. The PHC submitted a proposal on April 22 to Idėeclic, a Canadian technology consulting firm, to pilot the use of a new mobile platform to support the tours.

NA T I V E AM E R I C A N E X H I B I T

During fall semester 2012 Dr. Daniel Murphree’s Native American History undergraduate class proposed a series of revisions for the PHC’s Native American exhibit. Their proposed changes will be included in an overall exhibit plan we will be working on beginning July 2013.

OPERATIONAL COSTS In December 2011, when we proposed the partnership between UCF and the SCPS, the PHC’s projected operational budget for fiscal year 2012-2013 was approximately $111,000 as outlined below:

Original Estimate of Costs for 2012-13

Staff $67,600

Utilities $23,761

Equipment $2,500

Office/educational supplies $5,000

Telecommunications $3,500

Marketing $5,000

Grounds maintenance $3,680

TOTAL $111,041

Actual operational costs for fiscal year 2012/13 have exceeded the estimated costs. In order to accommodate being open to the public full time while conducting 4th grade field trips, we have supplemented volunteer staff with graduate teaching assistants, interns, and additional OPS/part-time staff (primarily history graduate students). Custodial services, a cost that was paid from another budget when SCPS operated the building, created the highest unanticipated cost.

Actual Operational Costs for 2012-13

Staff $75,106

Utilities $27,840

Custodial Services/Maintenance $18,550

Equipment $2,500

Telecommunications $6,400

Marketing $6,750

Office/educational supplies $5,450

Exhibits/Archival Supplies $2,500

Events $1,750

TOTAL $146,846


PA G E 22 O F 24

REVENUE GENERATION The PHC is on target to generate $20,000 during its first year of operation, primarily from 4

th grade field trips

provided for SCPS, private school, and home school students. Additional sources of revenue included visitors’ donations (walk-in and community events), Girl Scout programming, and facility rentals.

Revenues - 2012-13 Revenue Source Non-Taxable

Sales - External

Taxable Sales - External

Sales Tax Revenue Received

Outstanding Balance

SCPS Field Trips $12,085.00 $0.00 $0.00 $12,085.00 $0.00

Fright School $177.00 $387.16 $23.61 $587.77

Girl Scout Events $1,310.00 $161.48 $9.69 $1,481.17

Walk-ins $1,671.20 $0.00 $0.00 $1,671.20

Home/Private Schools $295.00 $325.00 $19.50 $639.50

Special Events $234.00 $0.00 $0.00 $234.00

Summer Camp $0.00 $662.27 $39.74 $702.01 $0.00

Rentals $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,600.00

SUBTOTALS $15,772.20 $1,535.91 $92.53 $17,400.64 $1,600.00

EXPANDED PRO GRAMMING AND FUN D-RAI SIN G

Plans for increasing revenue next year include expanding the PHC’s programming in several ways:

Summer Camp. Our goal is to host our first Summer Discovery Camp in June 2013. Registration has been slow but PHC staff will continue to explore strategies for hosting a summer camp or providing other programming throughout the summer when the building is not used for other K-12 programming.

Workshops for fees. Beginning this summer, the PHC will host a series of Public History Workshops focused on collecting personal stories. Beginning in the fall, we will add a Gardening Workshop series, hosted jointly with the Seminole County Master Gardeners, and a Heritage Craft series.

K-12 Programming. The PHC is planning to expand its K-12 field trips and other programming to include additional home School and private school students as well as students from other grades.

Girl Scout and Boy Scout Events. During our first year of operation, the PHC maintained the Girl Scout programming that had been provided by SCPS in previous years. Next year, we will expand our Girl Scout programming and add new programming for Boy Scouts.

Fund-raising events. The PHC’s fund-raising event this year was a Writer’s Workshop presented by New York Times bestseller. Hosted in partnership with the Friends of the Student Museum and UCF’s Book Festival, the event raised $1,200 for building restoration. During 2012-13, the History Department added a UCF Foundation account specifically for Public History programming. We will work with the UCF Foundation to plan an annual fund-raising event beginning 2013-14.

MEETIN G SPACE AN D FACILI TY REN TALS

In addition to using the building for educational programming, community events, and to house a museum collection, the PHC anticipates renting its facilities for meeting space. During our first year of operation, we have provided space to the following organizations at no charge:


PA G E 23 O F 24

UCF Academic Affairs – Provost’s Retreat UCF History Department – Annual Workshop Association of Retired Teachers of Seminole County Judges from Seminole County for Lake Brantley High School’s Mock Trial

Having created facilities rental policies and procedures as well as marketing material, the PHC will begin renting space in the 2013/14 fiscal year.

GR ANT S

Grants provide an additional funding source for the PHC. Because of the unique partnership that supports the PHC, grant applications for the building and collection are submitted by SCPS and those supporting programming are submitted by UCF. I am pleased to report that representatives from both partners have successfully co-authored grant proposals and have implemented them as well. A committee of joint stake-holders worked well together throughout the year to complete the Museum Assessment program (the consultant’s report is due in the next month). Members of the building advisory committee worked together to submit the NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections proposal. The biggest challenge moving forward is the short-term nature of our partnership, which is scheduled to end before future funding periods begin. A list of future grant-funding possibilities as well as a timeline for applications can be found in the appendices.

Grant Title Funding Organization

Amount Description Status

Museum Assessment Program

Institute for Museums and Library Services/ American Alliance of Museums

valued at

$4,000

Provides resources for assessing collections stewardship through self-study by stakeholders. Pays for a consultant to conduct an on-site assessment on the museum collections that results in a report evaluating operations, presenting recommendations, and suggesting resources.

Awarded

LIFE at UCF Learning Institute for Elders

$1,100 Funding to purchase archival supplies to be used as educational materials for UCF students learning how to process archival and museum collections.

Awarded

Sustaining Cultural Heritage - Planning Grant

NEH $40,000 Funding for projects that gather experts to examine collections and building envelopes and ascertain how to best care for them.

Pending

Helping Kids Shine Walt Disney World Corporation

$35,000 Funding for Summer Discovery Camp, with an emphasis on under-served populations.

Declined

CHALLENGES AND FUTURE

OPPORTUNITIES The PHC is in an excellent position to begin a new year. Since July 2012, much time and energy has been devoted to creating administrative procedures, defining roles, and planning educational programming. Looking forward to next year, we will build on this foundation to expand our interpretive programming, begin implementing changes to exhibits, create


PA G E 24 O F 24

community educational workshops, and plan for building restoration. The most significant challenge to moving ahead is the short-term nature of our partnership. The current 2-year lease has created the following challenges:

Applying for grants that extend beyond or begin after the end of the 2-year lease Inability to hire full-time employees without a longer-term funding commitments Fundraising in the community

The PHC has the potential to be a unique prototype of how to create sustainable, educational partnerships that engage life-long students with hands-on learning opportunities using resources already in place. It brings together the historical building and its collection, educational programming that focuses on experience-based learning, and institutions with vested interests in the building, the community, and our students. In doing so, the PHC is pooling resources to teach students useable skills and create lasting connections between them and their communities. To fully realize its potential, the PHC will require a long-term commitment by both UCF and the SCPS. UCF defines itself as “a public multi-campus, metropolitan research university that stands for opportunity” whose mission “is to deliver a comprehensive program of teaching, research, and service.” The mission of SCPS “is to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be successful in life.” By extending the lease period of the building, by ensuring the future of the PHC, UCF and SCPS will realize their missions.

PHC Summary Report Final 4-25-13 with header

Documents

Transcript of PHC Summary Report Final 4-25-13 with header