Make a Book Project (In collaboration with Boys & Girls Club) (2021-2022)
The Palm Springs Historical Society owns a rich archive of information on many topics, including that of important individuals critical to the growth trajectory of Palm Springs. The Palm Springs archive contains deep untapped resources on Women, Latinos, and African Americans who contributed to the area’s fantastic history. The Make a Book Project about guiding a class of after-school program students, (20-30) in the process of creating books based on their own creativity and the inspiration of Palm Springs local heroes. But it is also about building pride among youth in their ancestors’ roles in building the local community.
Contact: Renee Brown pshsrenee@gmail.com
Contact: Jordan Hammon pshsjordan@gmail.com
Zaddie Bunker's Traveling Museum (2014-2015, 2013-2014)
The Palm Springs Historical Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1955 by Melba Berry Bennett. Our purpose is to record, preserve and display historical artifacts of the Palm Springs area. We bring hands-on educational experiences into the classroom followed by field trips reinforcing many of the standards adopted by the California State Board of Education History-Social Studies curriculum. Our program includes six visits to the classroom and three field trips. We use slideshows with actual historical photographs, mapmaking, vocabulary games, watercolor art projects, storytelling and field trips to increase the student’s exposure to the desert environment, local desert artists, Cahuilla culture, and biographical information of many of the Palm Springs Pioneers. We serve approximately 300 students from Cielo Vista Charter School, Vista del Monte Elementary School and Cahuilla Elementary School.
