York Town News
Old York's "Junior Docents" learn the facts and mysteries of local history
By Jennifer L. Saunders
Mallory Evans, left, and Erin Trainor, concentrate on answering one of the many questions designed to test their knowledge as members of the Old York Historical Society's first-ever Junior Docent Program. The program, which is full for this summer, provides interested students between the ages of 12 and 17 with a chance to work alongside Old York's professional staff members and volunteers as educators, historical interpreters and curators during the summer months.
Photo by Jennifer L. Saunders
Earlier this year, Old York recruited young volunteers to assist in the education and curatorial departments this summer as part of a pilot program called Junior Docents, explained Education Director Anne Poubeau.
A total of 10 students were selected to receive extensive training in content as well as in techniques from York's past to become the youngest ambassadors of the Museums of Old York, she said.
Some are training to become junior interpreters. They will give guided tours with adult staff members, perform roles created from York's past Old Gaol keeper's children or servants, or demonstrate colonial crafts in period costume at the museum buildings.
Others will be junior educators, helping the staff with the development, preparation and presentation of children's summer programs, known as Morning Adventures, and one week-long camp slated for later this summer.
The rest will serve as junior curators, and will have the chance to create and install an exhibit for Old York Historical Society's display case at the York Public Library.
The response has been very positive, Poubeau said, adding that while the program is full for this year, Old York hopes it is one that will continue in the future.
Last week, the first junior docents - Emily Rumble, Erin Trainor, Mallory Evans, Sarah Baker, Zach Bald, Allison Gilmer, Katie Berlin and Danny Bottino - along with Elizabeth Perkins Fellow and project supervisor Emily Nichols, gathered with Poubeau and Old York volunteer Richard Bowen for a game of Old York Jeopardy at Jefferds' Tavern. During the game, the soon-to-be-docents tested their knowledge of the past, of Old York's collections and of the tasks they will tackle as docents.
"Emily arrived on Memorial Day and has already jumped in her new shoes," Poubeau said of Nichols' work as a Perkins Fellow.
During the event, Bowen posed an array of questions - ranging from the reason most people were jailed in the Colonial-era Old Gaol to the name of the smallest building on the schoolhouse and Jefferds' Tavern property to the examples of historic graffiti that children might find interesting in the schoolhouse itself.
Emily Rumble and Mallory Evans, junior docents who took part in a York Middle School Service Learning Project with Old York when they were in the fifth grade, said that experience inspired her to apply to become a docent.
"We learned a lot about the history of Old York and I just wanted to learn more about it," Emily said.
Zach Bald said his interest, too, came from taking part in other Old York programs over the years.
"I've always liked doing things with Old York and when I grow up I want to be a historian or architect," he said.
Sarah Baker explained that her father is a history professor, so she was very interested in the docent program.
"I thought it might be fun teaching other people," she said.
Poubeau said this year's docents are in grades six through eight, but the program is open to anyone between the ages of 12 and 17 years by application. Information will be provided in advance of next year's application process.
In the meantime, Poubeau said, the docents will assist at such events as the opening day and this year's Old York summer programs, which have moved from the afternoon to become "Morning Adventures." This years offerings range from "Breaking the Emerson Code" in the Emerson-Wilcox House to a week-long camp called "Acting Out the Past."
See next week's edition of The Independent for all the details on the programs, which begin this summer on Thursday, July 6.
