2018 has been filled with lots of things happening in the SRM education department. We have been very busy with conducting tours for all ages and providing educational programs, such as our annual home school event and public school programs, to educate the general public on rail history and transportation. The education volunteers have done a wonderful job in keeping the education department running and providing a good learning experience for our patrons.
Our monthly Second Thursday Program, which features a different theme vehicle each month, has continued, with several new vehicles added to the schedule. This program consists of a craft, game, activity, story presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library along with the vehicle of the month, which all learning centers focus on. We also hosted two summer camp sessions in June and July for children ages 4 to 12. Both were a great success and we were happy to see so many returning faces alongside the new ones. In 2019, our education department is hoping to offer a few scholarships for children who otherwise would be unable to attend the camp in 2019. We are looking for people who would like to sponsor to send a child to camp in 2019 – please reach out to education@train-museum.org.
About a year ago, the museum acquired an education building, and we are planning to turn it into a learning facility for school field trips and learning programs. During Gwinnett’s “Great Day of Service” in October, volunteers painted the outside of the building. We have found an architect who has donated his services to help with the planning and design of the interior of the building. To execute his work and turn it into a reality, we will need to do some major fundraising as the facility is in need of renovation and updates to meet county codes. If you are looking for an end of the year tax write-off, I hope you will consider donating to this project.
Thank you for a great 2018 and I look forward to a fantastic year in 2019.
James Gero Polihronakis
Education Coordinator
Southeastern Railway Museum
