Museum of the American Revolution summer course gives inside access to students

Since last year, the Museum of the American Revolution has put together a summer program to introduce teens to different careers in the museum field, and 2023’s activation will culminate in a community event this Saturday, Aug. 5. 

Known as the Living History Youth Summer Institute, the six-week intensive course this go-around focused on interpreting the lives of people of African ancestry in the Revolutionary era. The program, which began earlier last month, introduced eight participants to the museum field and the world of costumed historical interpretation, with a focus on enslaved and free people of African descent.

Launched in 2022, the Summer Institute aims to cultivate and support a more diverse community of people engaged in the museum field, a release states. It’s part of the Museum’s African American Interpretive Program, sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal, which the Museum launched in 2021 to significantly expand its capacity to develop and deliver programs that explore the lives, experiences, and impact of Revolutionary-era people of African descent. 

“We are fortunate to have an outstanding group of young people who are fully engaged and significantly contributing to all facets of this year’s Living History Youth Summer Institute,” said Michael Idriss, the Museum’s African American Interpretive Fellow in a statement.

This summer held chances for participants to discover more about what the MoAR offers, including the venue’s current special exhibit ‘Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia’, which opened earlier this year in February, plus, Washington’s War Tent, and first-person theatrical performances like ‘Meet James Forten.’

‘Black Founders’ specifically features over 100 different artifacts meant to tell the story of free Black Philadelphian James Forten from the Revolutionary era through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The Forten family played roles in the Revolutionary War, business in Philadelphia, and the abolitionist movement from 1776 to 1876. Washington’s War Tent has been a focal point of the venue for years, and the performances also focus on one central figure from the special exhibit. 

Courses for the program (led by museum staff and guest speakers) delve into a range of topics, including historical costuming, museum careers, and historical empathy. The Youth Summer Institute also featured trips to sites like the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey; the Dennis Farm in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania; the Betsy Ross House; Historic Germantown; and the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Transportation to the sites and passes to use public transportation were provided to participants.

The program is culminating to an open capstone event this Saturday on the lawn outside The McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, 3355 Woodland Walk, in Philadelphia. 

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the students will set up the Museum’s replica of George Washington’s Revolutionary War encampment (while dressed in 18th-century clothing), and demonstrate alongside Museum staff what life was like for Washington and the soldiers, camp followers, and free and enslaved people who traveled with him on campaign, the release finishes.

Idriss continued: “It has been a blast to watch them gain knowledge about historical costumed interpretation, career paths in the Museum field, and the importance of being a good storyteller, especially in communicating the work of both free and enslaved people of African descent. I’m impressed by their quick progress and proud to be working with them.” 

Anyone interested can stay tuned to the Museum’s social media channels and website for information and application opportunities regarding the 2024 Living History Youth Summer Institute. For more information on the event this Saturday and beyond, visit amrevmuseum.org/living-history-youth-summer-institute