The fresno county historical society's kearney mansion museum will expand its time travelers series, an immersive trip through california from the gold rush to the settling of fresno county

The Fresno City & County Historical Society's Kearney Mansion Museum will expand its "Time Travelers" curriculum under a $103,602 project grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services' National Leadership Grants program. The museum will develop new content for its immersive series on California history from the Gold Rush through Fresno County's settlement. It will incorporate additional ethnic studies perspectives on the discrimination immigrants faced and the contributions of Chinese, Japanese, Volga German, Swedish, Hispanic, and African American communities. The expanded curriculum aims to reengage students following pandemic disruptions through interactive reenactors and untold local stories in a state standards-aligned format. The museum will monitor online engagement metrics to measure the program's success in strengthening historical services for the public.

Reenactors bring historic figures and residents alive, and native american and cultural stories are incorporated into this state standard-based curriculum. This focus on local history, within the context of major national occurrences of the 1800S, meets the needs of students with fresh, untold stories of the valley, helping students reengage with learning following disruptions caused by the covid-19 pandemic. The discrimination immigrants faced is discussed in depth as an ethnic studies curriculum from elementary grades forward. The project team will expand on this curriculum to add discussions of chinese, japanese, volga german, swedish, hispanic, and african american settlements. The museum will monitor online analytics to measure engagement and program successes.