A “Hands-on History and Marketing Our History” workshop will take place Monday, May 3, at the Caldwell County Public Library in Lenoir, and on Wednesday, May 12, at the Foundation Conference Center on the campus of Randolph Community College in Asheboro. Topics will cover “how-tos” and activities that use collection materials and artifacts to engage adults and children alike.

The workshops run from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and cost $20 for Federation members, $25 for non-members. Visit www.fnchs.org/fund/fund.htm for a registration form or call (919) 807-7395 for more information.

“These programs give life to the motto of the N.C. Office of Archives and History, which is ‘history for all the people,’” said Dr. David Brook, Director of the Division of Historical Resources. “The “real stuff” of history offers intrigue and the artifacts tell stories about life in the past. Object-based learning builds on that interest by giving people the tools to investigate an artifact and find how it connects to themselves as well as the larger world.”

Outreach Coordinator Laura Ketcham reported that museum professionals who attended a workshop in another location “thought the handouts and ideas on how to get young people involved were especially enlightening, as were ideas of how to engage different audiences.”

Nancy Pennington, associate curator for programming at the North Carolina Museum of History, will offer an introduction to object-based learning. She will show how the Museum of History uses gallery carts, teaching collections, and craft activities to capture visitor interest and increase visitor learning. Workshop participants will have a chance to try their hand at some of the Museum’s hands-on activities.

During the “Marketing Our History” sessions, museum curator and marketing professional Bob Crowley will discuss the importance of research, strategic planning, psychology, and determination in creating effective marketing strategies. Crowley is curator of history for the North Carolina Railway Museum and has 30 years of experience working in the marketing field.

This project is supported by the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies and by grant funds from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by North Carolina ECHO and the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

The Office of Archives and History is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information on Cultural Resources is available at www.ncculture.com.