This fall, Dr Kristine Alexander shared some incredible collaborations between the University of Lethbridge and the Galt Museum. In a co-authored article titled, “‘What Can You Do When There’s Nothing to Touch?’ Empowering Undergraduate Researchers at the Galt Museum” (pages 16 to 20), Alexander, Ashley Henrickson (former museum educator at the Galt Museum), and undergraduate students Ben Weistra and LaRae Smith discuss some of the innovative ways that students can use their skills and solve problems by working with local institutions.
Hearing from Alexander, Henrickson, Weistra, and Smith, this article gives us an eye into how both students sought out research projects at the Galt Museum on southern Alberta history where sources were limited or inaccessible. These students were given the space to seek out solutions through technology, play, and oral history, which garnered enhanced learning opportunities for the institutions, teachers, and learners involved in some really interesting and engaging ways.
How do you use public history in the classroom?