Through the Camera Lens, Teens Focus on Hands-on Experiential Learning of Virginia History

Whether on a fort bulwark or on a square-rigged ship, teenagers from Hampton City Schools spent last summer immersed in history at Jamestown Settlement. Working in front of and behind the camera, high school students produced videos about 17th-century Virginia to create education programs for a younger generation of students in elementary school.

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation partnered with Hampton City Schools for this high school experiential learning program. Kecoughtan High School sophomores enrolled in their college and career preparatory programs — the Academy of Teaching, Education, and Learning and Performing Arts Academy — collaborated to design and create educational videos for The Future Learning

Experience, a Hampton City Schools virtual learning program for grades K-5.

JYF digital media and education specialists worked in tandem alongside academy students as they created engaging educational videos to arm them with not only videography support but historical content and reproduction clothing and artifacts to enrich each program.

Students in the Teaching, Education, and Learning Academy researched and selected 4th-grade Virginia Studies learning standards to develop educational videos, while the Performing Arts Academy students integrated these standards into interactive stories and scripts.

Utilizing the Jamestown Settlement galleries, livinghistory areas and cameo appearances by historical interpreters, these video projects told stories of early America in fun, creative ways, such as video-based “Choose Your Own Adventure” activities, skits about history time travelers and modern news broadcasts with historical interpreter interviews.

Throughout this project, academy students not only honed their skills in teamwork and creative problem-solving, but they also gained invaluable, hands-on experiences in their desired future career paths as educators or performing art professionals and technicians.

Near the end of the summer program, Kecoughtan High School staff and students recounted how much they learned while working with JYF staff and the unique opportunity to film videos in re-created areas with reproduction artifacts. Inspired by how exciting history can be to learn and teach in a living-history setting, some students even asked for information and applications to return to the JYF as youth volunteers.

Students completed this project with incredible new experiences, knowledge and understanding of history that was translated into the material they produced for younger students. These educational videos and supplementary materials can aid younger students in relating better to history topics, building confidence and exploring their own interests in education and performing arts.

Bringing mission-driven educational materials and experiences to learners of all ages is a cornerstone of such JYF and collaborative partnerships, making history come alive for everyone.

—Alexis Becker, Communications Specialist Museum Operations and Education

Educational Experiences

Whether you are a parent looking for fun, educational summer camps for children or an educator looking to jump into hands-on professional development, JYF has lots of great ways to explore the past.

Summer History Camps – June 19-July 27

History camps at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offer multi-day, on-site educational programs designed to inspire engagement with early American history. This summer, JYF campers will explore the following themes: plants and animals, communication and clothing and fashion. Space is limited, and registration is online only and available first come, first served. Visit jyfmuseums.org/historycamps for details and to register.

Summer Teacher Institute – July 10-14

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Summer Teacher Institute, a popular professional development experience, returns in July to Jamestown Settlement to provide Virginia teachers with historical content and teaching strategies they can take back to the classroom. Participants experience authentic learning activities and create lessons and performance tasks they can use in the classroom for years to come. To apply, visit jyfmuseums.org/teacherinstitute

The Summer Teacher Institute is free for all participants, thanks to generous support by the JamestownYorktown Foundation, Inc. Annual Fund, the Abbitt Family Foundation, the Charles S. and Millicent P. Brown Family Foundation, Audrael and John Chiricotti, Randy and Shelby Hawthorne, and Wilma and Marc Sharp.