Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center
Program Plan

    Through joint planning meetings between the College and the SRHA, it was determined to start the partnership with four focused projects that can be expanded and built upon in the future. The four projects center on the developmentof credit curriculum; non-credit course offerings; an academic symposium; and cultural affairs programming.

    Credit Curriculum

    In addition to offering general core courses at the Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center, the College faculty are also planning new curricula in Environmental Science using the site as an outdoor learning lab and in museum studies/history to promote the region’s deep historical assets.

    		 Historic Tour Plaque

    The credit curriculum is designed to advance the College’s ability to meet the workforce development needs by preparing students for high priority jobs in targeted industry clusters.

    Environmental Science—Current curricula in Geo-science, including Earth Science and Environmental Geology, will be offered. The College is currently developing an Environmental Science curriculum, to be based at its West Campus, which will take advantage of the outdoor space, river, and the adjacent 30 acres of wooded area owned by the Borough of Pottstown. Environmental scientists and specialists are included in the Pennsylvania Workforce Development high priority occupations within the Agriculture and Food Production industry cluster. For outreach to teachers and students from all levels of education, including K-12, development of an Interactive Archive of Water Quality Data is proposed so that students can submit water measurements from within the watershed and classes could extract data obtained by other classes for purposes of comparison and analysis.

    Museum Studies/History—United States History courses (U.S. History I and II), as well as our newly introduced Pennsylvania History course and the Historic Preservation course will all be offered in the renovated building. Schuylkill history will be integrated into these classes through the planned Interpretive Center in this building, as well as through the classes’ proximity to the River. Additional curriculum development for the future includes the designing of a degree program in history with an emphasis in museum studies. This degree will prepare students to work in the growing heritage tourism industry within Montgomery County and the region. A degree or certificate in museum studies will provide an education and career ladder for those preparing for positions as museum managers. This expertise in public history will prepare a local workforce in the Pennsylvania’s Targeted Industry Cluster of education, which includes museums and historical sites, “as they provide a rich source of educational material for Commonwealth residents.”

    Education—The Center will serve as a teaching resource for emerging teachers. Students in Early, Elementary and Secondary Education-Social Studies will learn about field trip opportunities, including the Interpretive Center for their future students. They will learn about hands-on opportunities, for example, the use of objects in teaching, on-site teaching, exhibits, and digs for teaching history to K-12 students. As already noted,education is one of Pennsylvania’s Targeted Industry Clusters and according to Pennsylvania Workforce Development, “education has the highest positive average annual percent change in job volume based on 2000-2002 data.” The College’s 17 percent growth in conferring associate’s degrees in education, demonstrates a continuing commitment to contributing to this sector of the workforce.

    Service-Learning—Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. As the College expands community-based service-learning programs for students, the partnership with SRHA will provide opportunities for students to gain service experience connected to the curriculum in social sciences, business, and environmental science. Service opportunities include volunteering in the Interpretive Center, the retail area, and outdoor programs.

    Faculty Student Research—In addition to the credit course offerings, the partnership and shared facility offer exciting opportunities for externships for faculty research; student research opportunities; and curricular links with the Honors Program. Potential research topics include histories of individual buildings, ethnic history, industrial history, and correlations between patterns of development within the watershed of the Schuylkill and alterations of flood frequency and magnitude.

    Continuing Education Initiative

    A series of non-credit courses was piloted in spring 2005 with courses offered in conjunction with SRHA and continues through the 2005-2006 academic year. Courses offered include the following

    • Landscaping with Nature
    • Canoe/Kayak Basics
    • Bicycle Maintenance
    • Architectural History, Style, and Investigation: Tools for Viewing, Dating, and Understanding Historic Buildings
    • Exploring the Schuylkill
    • Careers for the History and Government Major

    Building on the success of the pilot program, a Heritage Series, consisting of 12-15 non-credit courses is under development and will be offered on a rotating basis to promote awareness of the Schuylkill River’s significant historical, cultural, and natural resources, as well as the rich history of Montgomery County.

    The following is a sample of proposed courses with a line from each course description.

    A Taste of History—Inns of the Schuylkill River—Featured luncheons throughout the area will be accompanied by a tour of a historic property and/or a lecture on the history of the property.

    Slavery and the Underground Railroad—This course will focus on the people and places that comprised the Underground Railroad in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

    So I Live in Montgomery County—Now What?—This course will bring to life the history, culture and natural environment of Montgomery County for both new and old residents.

    Canals, Railroads, Highways, Oh My!—A discussion of the changes in transportation through time and how they affected the local economy.

    Montgomery County History—Provides a basic overview of the history and development of the county including the establishment of the various townships and boroughs and the interrelationships between them.

    Archaeological Treasures—Provides an overview of who has historically lived in the area illustrated through archaeological finds from throughout the county.

    History and Architecture of Pottstown Borough—This class will include an in-class lecture accompanied by a walking tour through the two National Register Historic Districts in Pottstown.

    The Fabric of Philadelphia—A look at the history and development of the textile industry in thePhiladelphia region. This course will be held in conjunction with Philadelphia University’s Design Center and their newly formed initiative.

    Who Wore that Hat to His Wedding?—A somewhat whimsical approach to material culture developed by using the collections at the Montgomery County Historical Society, with an emphasis on genealogical resources.

    Mennonite Heritage—An introduction to the history, religion, and cultural beliefs and practices, this course will explore the influence of the Mennonite people on our lives today.

    Churches and the Religious History of Montgomery County—This course will focus on the influences of the various religious groups and will highlight significant people, places, and events in religious history.

    Mills and Milling History in Montgomery County—The history of the milling industry, a look at its reliance on water sources, and site visits will be included in this class. In addition to the Heritage Series, Montgomery County Community College’s Division of Workforce Development and Continuing Education will continue to offer recreational and environmental courses linked to the natural features of the location.

    In addition to a fishing course and small craft boating, examples of new courses include an Academic Symposium. The location, along with the missions of the College and SRHA, make the Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center an ideal setting for hosting an annual academic symposium.

    To introduce potential users to the Center and the rich historical assets of the five-county region, the Academic Symposium will serve: College and secondary school faculty who can use the resources of the Center to enrich their courses; guidance counselors and academic advisors who may wish to avail students of the learning and public service volunteer opportunities of the Center; and representatives of organizations such as civic associations, historical societies, museums, churches, ethnically-based groups and others who may wish to network through the Center.

    Through the Academic Symposium, participants will explore the use of public history and material culture as educational tools in the social sciences and humanities. Exceeding the understandings nurtured by traditional academic disciplines, the study of material culture is a key to understanding society, past and present. Public historians incorporate the scientific methodologies of archaeology and anthropology into both their curatorial tasks and the interpretation of their buildings and artifacts. The interdisciplinary nature of the symposium will serve the needs of the multiple target audiences.

    The first symposium, serving a regional audience, will be offered during the summer of 2007. The College will also apply for National Endowment for the Humanities funding to support a national faculty development program for school teachers and for college and university teachers for the summer of 2008.

    The program for the first symposium will consist of three large group discussions and a summary session. Each session will include all participants and will be led by one to four principals.

    The discussion sessions will be chosen from the following topics.

    The People of the Schuylkill River Valley—A discussion of the ethnic makeup of the population and its relation to the mixed economy of the region. Potential principals include an academic sociologist, a demographer from the Bureau of the Census, and the director of the Pennsylvania German Society.

    Genealogy—Principals could include representatives of any of the county archives and historical societies.

    Ecology and Recreation Society—Many forms of outdoor recreation are dependent on the quality of the environment, including hunting, fishing, bird watching, hiking, canoeing and others.

    Agriculture and Industry—Principals could include geographers, social and economic historians, and representatives of historical societies such as the Phoenixville Area Society.

    Historical Tourism—Principals could include representatives of historical sites throughout the five-county region, including Peter Wentz Farmstead, Valley Forge National Park, Hopewell Furnace, and tour bureaus.

    Cultural Arts

    The College is actively involved with the efforts of community organizations within Pottstown to develop a cultural arts district as one component of the community and economic revitalization plans. Partnering with Village Productions, a local performing arts group, the College is currently providing a rehearsal and performance venue at its West Campus. With the Spring 2006 opening of the newest West Campus facility at 16 High Street, the College will have an Art Gallery to showcase community artists, as well as the work of faculty, staff and alumni.

    The amphitheater that is included in the outdoor plan for the Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center provides an additional venue for community events and interpretive cultural and heritage programs, with the river as a backdrop. The history of the river and what grew up around it provide an excellent template for cultural events designed to promote heritage tourism.

    For example, at the recent International Heritage Conference in Nashville, an evening of American Roots Music was held at the Lawn Chair Theater. American Roots Music includes a variety of folk music traditions including spirituals, blues, country, bluegrass, and gospel. This music asserts and preserves the history of people in the context of change. A series of outdoor concerts will be presented tracing these traditions and featuring national, regional and local artists. Much of this music is interactive and has a sing-a-long quality. Other events that might be accommodated include dance, drill teams, school bands and orchestras and other local musicians. This family fun program could act as an important amenity draw for the Center and the emerging Pottstown downtown cultural district.