Teaching Museum History

The Teaching Museum Project was sponsored by the Fulton County Public School’s Foundation, Inc. to use the resources of the school and of the community to establish two teaching museums. The museums opened in the spring of 1991 offering hands-on educational experiences for the students of Fulton County, kindergarten through the twelfth grade, and programming for adults in the community. When time is available, the museums serve other metro Atlanta schools and private schools. Roswell Elementary in the Historic District of Roswell houses the museum in North County; there has been a center for learning at this site since 1840. North Avenue Elementary in Hapeville is the south county site. It was designed by Phillip Shutze in 1929.

The museums offer participatory exhibits coordinated with school curriculum to encourage students to feel and to learn from the past as it relates to the present. There are also programs for adults in the community; this provides for intergenerational learning. Students play active roles in a one room school house, the Writer’s Corner, the Courtroom, and the auditoriums serve as the center for the Arts and for forums on social issues. The focus of our program is the Arts, the Humanities and the community.

Hundreds of thousands of students and visitors have participated in special programs and tours at the museums. Growing demand for scheduled programs and museum use is evident from calendars that are filled from October through May. The museums continue to be a prime example of what can happen when there is a meaningful partnership between schools and the community.

Missions

Our mission is: to provide students, kindergarten through the twelfth grade, with “hands-on” learning experiences that are coordinated with classroom curriculum. The museums afford students the opportunity to explore ideas in a concrete manner, first hand, rather than just through textbooks. Museums particularly appeal to students who learn visually and in situations where they actually participate in the learning process. It is our mission to provide such opportunities. Here students interact with museum staff, writers, artists, dancers, musicians, and scholars. Teachers participate and actively suggest new directions for museum programs. Exhibits are designed to attract and to educate. Our mission is to open a door for learning to encourage students toward a new and an exciting world around them. Simply stated our mission is: to teach the mind and to touch the heart. Programs through Fulton County Arts help facilitate our mission.