Takin’ the Show on the Road!

Exciting news- the museum is relocating to the campus core! This is a very good opportunity for the museum to strengthen its ties with the university’s academic courses and be part of the cluster of museums already in the campus core. I am excited about the new partnerships and programs that will come out of this move.

Now the kinda bad news is that the museum will be closed for a period of time. Part of the moving process requires that the museum collection be put in storage (secure and climate controlled!) while the space is renovated. However, this situation has encouraged me to think about ways that the museum can be out in the community. I will be looking for opportunities to set up a table with artifacts, speak to organizations, and offer presentations on medical history subjects. (The museum has already participated in several local Civil War reenactments.) Our new building (Cushwa Hall) will also have several display areas featuring items from the museum’s collection.

The main community outreach will be a “suitcase tour” that I’ve developed based on the main themes of the museum’s exhibits. It supports Ohio’s Academic Content Standards in Social Studies, particularly for Grades 3 and 4. (Thanks to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society for giving me some pointers. They’ve had suitcase tours since the 1970s.) I have replica instruments that can be handled by small groups and a Power Point presentation that supports a participatory lecture with interesting visuals. The suitcase tour can even include a hands-on medicine making activity based on a recipe from 1881 for curing tapeworms.

The suitcase tours are free for those groups in the Youngstown area. Please call or email the museum to schedule a visit- clnespor@ysu.edu or 330-941-4662.