EAST students at Northeast Tech in Claremore, Oklahoma, participated in Museum on Main Street's Stories: YES program through a collaboration with the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum. MoMS' exhibition "The Way We Worked" was used as a theme to delve into the collection at the Museum that includes a saber designed by General George Patton as well as treasured toys inspired by the childhood icon Buck Rogers.

Intrigued by the stories told by the objects, students Barry Rolen and Markus Gunn produced six videos as a series called "Museum Minute." Each video features Curator Jason Schubert sharing the fascinating stories behind objects, taking viewers on a journey into 1930s movie theaters or explaining why historians should be wary of outlaw Jesse James' mother. They also created this introductory video to the Museum.

Throughout the experience, the students learned why the Museum collects and preserves objects and how the collection sets the stage for remembering different eras and points of view. They saw the inner workings of the Museum and explored professional considerations such as object provenance. “I enjoyed learning about the other artifacts that you can find in the Museum, and I hope our videos will encourage more young people to visit the Museum and see for themselves,” explains Barry Rolen.

See the whole Museum Minute series at the links below:

Episode 1: The Patton Saber
Episode 2: The Cane Gun
Episode 3: The Blunderbuss
Episode 4: The Buck Rogers Toy Gun
Episode 5: The Jesse James Pistol
Episode 6: War Posters

Northeast Tech's EAST classroom is facilitated by Brook Easton. EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology Initiative) is a STEM-based program where students learn how to drive projects about things they're interested in. The collaboration with MoMS provides an opportunity for students to deepen connections to cultural heritage and local history. Stories: YES is made possible with internal Smithsonian funds through the Youth Access Grants Program.