K-12 Learning

We offer a range of resources and programming to support K-12 educators and learners inside the classroom and out in the community.

We bring immersive learning to Jefferson County schools with our Education Trunks that are free and available by reservation. Outside of the classroom, we team up with local and state partners to enrich youth education experiences with tours, exhibitions, and experiential activities.

All our offerings for K-12 educators and learners aim to promote curiosity, imagination, understanding of diverse experiences in our region’s history, and building skills to support continued inquiry and learning.

Education Trunks

Bring hands-on learning into your classroom with our thematic Education Trunks. These traveling trunks contain artifacts, books, photographs, and curriculum support. All trunks are available for two-week rentals, free of charge.

Native Peoples of the Olympic Peninsula

Developed in consultation with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, this trunk contains a variety of commissioned objects, books, games, and digital materials—all designed to cultivate understanding of the relationships between natural resources, culture, and traditions.

Educators can use this trunk to introduce the culture and traditions of Native Peoples of the Olympic Peninsula to students at a wide range of learning levels.

Oral Histories of Jefferson County

Drawing from our own collection, this trunk contains selected audio excerpts of oral histories from Jefferson County residents between the early 1900s and present day. This trunk includes a variety of digital resources and supporting objects intended to enhance hands-on learning.

Educators can use this trunk to introduce the topics of oral history, primary and secondary sources, the personal impact of geography, and how lived experiences fit within chronological timelines.

Reserve a Trunk
JCHS Education Trunks are supported by the D. V. & Ida McEachern Charitable Trust

Education Tours & Programs

We regularly partner with schools and local and state organizations to provide experiential, place-based learning for students of all ages. Some of our latest collaborations include:

  • Leading museum activities each spring for 8th grade classes from around Jefferson County as part of Northwest Maritime Center’s Maritime Discovery Program
  • Working with a cohort of high school students from all over the state to understand how youth can and should be represented in our museum exhibitions as part of Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2022 Youth Heritage Project
  • Hosting photography exhibitions by Port Townsend High School students who have recreated historic images from JCHS’s collection to illustrate the ongoing evolution of our area
  • Working with the Jefferson County Library to guest host in-school programs across the county

Are you with an organization looking to enrich your own youth-focused programming with learning about local arts and heritage? Are you a teacher looking for your class’s next immersive experience to bring lessons from the classroom to life? You’re in luck because we delight in supporting local educators!

You can email programs@jchsmuseum.com to ask our knowledgeable programs and education team about different opportunities for K-12 educators and learners.