Mobile Museum Brings History Lessons To District 202 Schools

Plainfield IL

17 November, 2021

6:00 PM

Description

PLAINFIELD, IL — Sometimes, if you can't make it to the museum, you can bring the museum to you. In the case of Plainfield School District 202, that's just what happened when the Mobile Museum of Tolerance visited middle and high school students between Nov. 8 and Nov. 19, district officials said. The mobile museum is an affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum, whose namesake was a prisoner in five Nazi concentration camps during World War II. After the war's end, he dedicated his life to finding and prosecuting Nazi criminals while also promoting Holocaust memory and education. The bus-sized traveling exhibit is visiting all District 202 middle schools as well as Plainfield Central High School and Plainfield East High School. When the bus is parked at their schools, students visit the MMOT as part of social studies and history class curriculums to supplement their learning with one of three programs offered: "Civil Rights," "The Anne Frank Story," and "The Power of Ordinary People." Subscribe to Patch's free Plainfield newsletter and get real-time email alerts. Organizers at the MMOT originally reached out to the school district in the spring when students weren't back in school full time. The district instead organized the museum to visit schools this fall, Tom Hernandez, director of community relations at the district, said in a news release. "We are proud to present this unique opportunity for our students to learn about a significant part of history that continues to resonate almost 80 years later," Superintendent of Schools Lane Abrell said in a statement. He continued: "Its content fits with our work to increase and improve understanding, acceptance, and appreciation for everyone." The MMOT has a goal to visit about 150 Illinois schools and communities each year in "hopes to inspire thousands of Illinoisans to stand up to hate and strive toward positive social change," according to its website. (For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Plainfield Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!)