June 9th Article THE SIGNATURE

Kids at the Fort!

We’ve all had it, that gut-wrenching, heart-pumping feeling as you wake up in the middle of the night terrified. It’s the … history nightmare! The dates! The useless information! The stories from a teacher with a bun and a ruler! AAAACKKKK!!!

Yes, it’s true. History tends to be passed over for the “cool award”. Let’s just say the history-major parties in college weren’t that happening (as in … they weren’t happening … at all). The truth is, however, history, especially for kids, is pertinent to their understanding of everything that IS cool to them.

Do your girls love sports? Great; do they understand the history of Title IX? Or maybe your son is a jazz connoisseur; I bet he’ll listen with new appreciation when he ties it to black history in America. What about your little ones? I bet they’ll think it’s really “neat” that grandma didn’t always have a cell phone! Gasp!

Francisco Fort Museum is dedicated to insuring that local youth are welcome at the museum, and that they connect to local history in a meaningful way. We have recently set up children’s activity booths; we offer fun old time photos, and ALL LOCAL STUDENTS ARE FREE, with the admission of a parent or guardian.

So, here’s to the dates, to the multiple choice questions, to the Mrs. Bleighs of the world (my very own 11^th grade history teacher!), and to the geeky folks like me with history degrees …  may all the cool things become even cooler with a story behind them.