Schools

Freedom Trail® Scholars Program Visits Eliot K8 Innovation School

Eliot K8 Innovation School students (far left, front to back), Simon Brown, 11, Michael Bazley-Williams, 11, and Ariana Galvao, 10, portray British soldiers as their classmates (far right, left to right), Siobhan Kane, 11, Elle Miller, 10, and Jacob Marber Blatt, 10, portray Boston colonists in a reenactment of the Boston Massacre during the Freedom Trail Scholars Program alongside Freedom Trail Players® Tim Hoover and Arielle Kaplan. The Program, presented by the Freedom Trail Foundation, engages students throughout the Commonwealth as they interact with the Players, read portions of important documents and declarations, and react to historic events. Credit: Eliot K8 Innovation School

Chants of “dump the tea into the sea” echoed down the halls as Boston’s Eliot K8 Innovation School’s fifth grade students took on roles during their Freedom Trail® Foundation Scholars Program visit on Tuesday, March 7 at 11:15 a.m. at 16 Charter Street. Presented by the Freedom Trail Foundation, this interactive history program helps educate students throughout Massachusetts.

Now in its 11th season, the Scholars Program brings the spirit and fervor of the American Revolution in Boston to life for Massachusetts students. Two presenters take on multiple roles to bring our nation’s historic fight for freedom into schools in this one-hour traveling interactive class. Since the Program’s inception, over 36,000 students have seen and been involved in the program: interacting with the performers, reading portions of important documents and declarations, and reenacting historic events. Educators are provided with the Scholars Program resource guide, including lesson plans and quizzes to help evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

Eliot K8 Innovation School’s Jacob Marber Blatt, 10, (left), and Elle Miller, 10 (right), prepare to “dump the tea into the sea” along with Freedom Trail Player® Tim Hoover acting as Boston colonists as part of the Freedom Trail® Scholars Program’s reenactment of the Boston Tea Party. This interactive program, presented by the Freedom Trail Foundation provides high-quality educational experiences to school age children throughout Massachusetts. Credit: Eliot K8 Innovation School

“The Freedom Trail Foundation program was perfect! The creative glimpse of the past provided my students with the big ideas surrounding the causes of the Revolutionary War and cleared up misconceptions about the ride of Paul Revere,” said Helen Rock, fifth grade teacher at Morris Elementary School in Lenox.

Boston’s own Simon Brown, 11 (left), acting as Redcoat Lieutenant Colonel Smith receives instruction from General Gage, portrayed by Freedom Trail Player® Tim Hoover (right), as part of the Freedom Trail® Scholars Program. This interactive program, presented by the Freedom Trail Foundation provides high-quality educational experiences to school age children throughout Massachusetts. Credit: Eliot K8 Innovation School

The Scholars Program will make many exciting visits during the 2016–2017 school year with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Distrigas of Massachusetts, which supports visits to Everett Public Schools, Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, and in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administrated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. Organizations and companies are encouraged to sponsor Scholars Program visits to schools in the communities they serve.

For additional information regarding school visits and community support for the program, please contact the Freedom Trail Foundation at (617) 357–8300, extension 203, or via e-mail at aadgate@thefreedomtrail.org.