THE CHALLENGE: MILLENNIAL VISIONS

"Millennial Visions," a project sponsored in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and with support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Missouri, was originally conceptualized as a way to pilot new outreach ideas that could easily be taken up by similar institutions. The goal of "Millennial Visions" was to identify and support two history projects that would demonstrate activities that can be widely replicated.

Guidelines of the grant dictated that the institutions adopt a two-pronged approach that would:
1.) Create a new interpretive exhibit by means of an intern program, preferably with high school students; 2.) Develop an array of public programs connected with the new exhibit, and so increase public involvement with the museum.

The grant period for the institutions was five and a half months (from May 15, 2000 to October 31, 2000), with final reports due by January 31, 2001.

Two institutions, one rural and one urban, were chosen to undertake "Millennial Visions." Both institutions, Friends of Arrow Rock (link to www.Friendsar.org) and the Black World History Museum, developed a community-based approach to creating a new exhibit. Although the two projects were distinct, both institutions adopted a similar approach of conducting intern projects while concurrently working with professionals and historians involved in public activities planning.

In the sections that follow, detailed descriptions will be given of the initial plans the two institutions formed, the internships that they created to carry out these plans, the public programs designed to present the exhibits, and the exhibits themselves. Problems, outcomes, and success rates specific to these areas of the grant will be explained in the pertaining individual sections. Broader problems, challenges, and outcomes which apply to carrying out the grant as a whole will be addressed in the section entitled What was Learned and Long-Term Implications. Each section will contain general information applicable to both the Friends of Arrow Rock and Black World History Museum experience. Following this information, details specific to each institution's individual experience will be included.