An eight-week, virtual summer camp for children that starts June 8 will train participants to become Hoptown History Heroes, the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County announced.
“Each week focuses on an era or interesting stories from our community’s history. At the end of each week, our heroes-in-training will earn a special badge,” Executive Director Alissa Keller said in a news release.
It all culminates with the official designation as a Hoptown History Hero.
Participants will be part of a private Facebook group, where museum staff shares videos, photographs and information each week. An alternative delivery will be available for anyone who doesn’t have access to Facebook. The camp is designed for children ages 7 to 12, but alternatives are available for older participants and adults.
If coronavirus restrictions are eased before the end of the camp, “we may make adjustments to the program to allow for in-house museum experiences,” Keller said.
A packet of activities and supplies will be available to pick up each week at the museum for the next section of the camp. The packets will contain puzzles, writing prompts, science experiments and optional field trips.
A badge of honor will be awarded at the end of each week, and heroes-in-training will be granted status as true Hoptown History Hero when the camp concludes.
The camp’s weekly themes are:
- Week 1, June 9 – 15: Pennyroyal Plateau and Ken-Tuk-Eh
- The land, animals, and plants of the region and its earliest inhabitants
- Week 2, June 16 – 22: The Commonwealth
- The pioneer era and founding of the state and county
- Week, 3, June 23 – 29: The Neutral State and its Aftermath
- The years leading up to and following the Civil War with a special emphasis on the African American experience
- Week 4, June 30 – July 6: Farming in the Black Patch and the Tobacco Wars
- Agriculture and the battle over tobacco prices in the early 20th century
- Week 5, July 7 – 13: Hoptown, Boomtown
- Architecture, sports, education, Fort Campbell, businesses, churches, and more
- Week 6, July 14 – 20: The Life and Legacy of Edgar Cayce
- Lessons for life and growth from the work of the county’s most well-known former resident
- Week 7, July 21 – 27: The Weird, the Wonderful, and Local Notables
- Weird and wonderful stories of people and events that have impacted our community
- Week 8, July 28 – August 1: Firefighting and Transportation
- Special feature on the Hopkinsville Fire Department and all things mobile
To register go here. The fee is $75.
Weekly registration, for $15, can be done here.
Museum members get a 20% discount. Become a member online.
Contact the museum at 270-887-4270 or info@museumsofhopkinsville.org.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
