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KHS Student Accepted into Missouri Historical Society “Teens Make History” Academy
Kirkwood High School rising senior Sylvia Edwards is one of 25 students in the St. Louis area accepted into the Missouri Historical Society's (MHS) Teens Make History (TMH) Academy.
TMH is a nationally acclaimed paid program for high school students at MHS. Since 2007, TMH has helped teens develop professional skills, build confidence, cultivate relationships with mentors and peers from diverse backgrounds, and explore the complexities of history. The purpose of TMH is to provide high school students with meaningful work and give them a high level of ownership over projects that work towards the MHS mission and reach the broader community.
During the four-week program, Sylvia will take part in museum studies workshop giving her a behind-the-scenes look at the world of museums. Sylvia will meet with MHS staff, conduct museum challenges, and complete a capstone project with teammates. Topics include archival research, oral history, exhibits, public programs, and museum theatre.
More than 200 students from 73 high schools have completed the TMH Academy and over 130 have worked as Teen Apprentices. Participants who successfully complete the TMH Academy receive a $150 stipend and may apply for a long-term paid position as a Teen Apprentice that they can hold until they graduate high school.
For each exhibit, Teen Apprentices conduct primary- and secondary-source research, select images, write labels, design exhibit layouts, and plan related public programs. Other Teen Apprentice projects have included writing and performing museum theatre plays, coordinating story-sharing programs for Día de los Muertos and MLK Day celebrations, conducting oral history interviews with St. Louis activists, cataloguing the Missouri History Museum’s teaching collection, and writing for the Missouri Historical Society blog, History Happens Here.
For more information about the program, visit: mohistory.org/tmh-academy.