mission, which includes courses and programs for the Bryn Athyn Church
School, Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools, Bryn Athyn College
and many other schools and colleges throughout the greater Philadelphia area.
Part of this includes transporting them out of their time and place and
asking: What was it like to live in a different time? In a different culture with
different beliefs and practices? What do you see? And reinforcing what they
have learned in the classroom.
The stained glass program includes capturing the invisible, with the light
of God shining, and learning to “read” the messages in stained glass.
School programs include such topics as: Christmas art and workshops;
Greece and Rome; mosaics and manuscripts; Islamic vs. Christian art; Egypt
and Mesopotamia; China and Eastern religions; and a tie-in with local history.
Among the primary goals of all the education programs are getting
students to think about and develop empathy for other cultures. They find out,
for instance, what it is like to use a quill pen and to pull an old printing press.
Among testimonials from Academy and College teachers:
“Glencairn brings history to life. It helps answer the question ‘so what?’
that students may have after studying facts and dates in the classroom. It helps
to humanize history, making characters relatable and events understandable.
When the students interact with actual objects (holding a weapon, writing with
a quill, etc.) or find themselves in a different set of circumstances (postulates in
an Abbey) they see history in a personal way rather than as some remote and
theoretical subject that has no relevance to their current lives.”
“Visiting the galleries in history classes is a wonderful complement to what
we do in the classroom. One of my overarching goals in any history class I teach
is to see the people in historical eras as fully human. Seeing actual objects, the
‘real deal,’ helps to do just this by making history, especially religious history,
come alive. For me, it is hard to over-emphasize the importance of humanizing
history.”
“When students participate in the Medieval Festival, they have the
opportunity to engage in public history at a premiere venue. I stress to students
what an exceptional opportunity this is for them to engage in living history,
and their test results show they retain this information best.”
“Having a world-class collection at our fingertips makes this course a joy
to teach. Close inspection of paint on stained glass, the details of manuscripts,
the texture on sculpture does not come across in photos in our textbook.”
The Medieval Camp last summer included 81 students from 13 states,
and 15 student teachers. Activities included worship, a pilgrimage, cooking, a
Maypole, sword play, virtues, a naming ceremony and a final “battle.”
Among the many public exhibitions at Glencairn Museum are:
“From Gutenberg to Kindle: The Art of Bible Making.” This marked the
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