Heritage Education

The Burwell School offers two tracks of children’s heritage education programs. These programs promote the exploration of the Burwell School’s history using interactive tools such as reproduction clothing, costumed interpreters, crafts, games and primary source documents to create a fun learning experience.

Then and Now

"Then and Now" program is designed specifically for 4th grade students and meets many of the North Carolina curriculum standards for that grade level. The program is based on a two-hour visit to the Burwell School Historic Site. During the visit, students are first introduced to the history of the Burwell School in the Site's 1837 school building. There they write on slates and are given a booklet with actual 19th-century lessons. From the school building, the students are led on a tour of the residence where they are frequently asked to compare what they see with their own homes and lives. After these two more instructive periods, the students are given the opportunity to play a variety of 19th-century games. In addition to this visit, the "Then and Now" program also includes pre- and post-visit activities for teachers to lead in their classrooms in order to better contextualize the visit itself.

Portals to the Past

“Portals to the Past” consists of 8 one-hour long, interactive program modules. Each “portal” explores a difference aspect of mid-19th century life. Using first-person interpreters, reproduction clothing, games, and crafts, the modules focus on the history of North Carolina, Hillsborough and the Burwell School.

“Portals to the Past” is designed to be flexible. Programs can include a single module or a series of modules and can be presented at the Burwell School or off-site. Portals programs are suitable for children age 6 to 16. A minimum reservation of 10 participants is required. Thanks to generous community support “Portals to the Past” is available at a minimal per child, per portal cost.

To learn more about “Portals to the Past,” or to schedule a program, please contact us.

Girl Scout Patch Program

The Burwell School is pleased to announce the introduction of our new patch program designed for Girl Scout troops. This program has been put into effect as of fall 2006 and is intended for Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Senior troops. Since the Burwell School acted as a girls boarding school during the 19th century, we are excited to have the opportunity to inform young girls within the local community of our rich history.There is a small fee for the program.

Download the patch program brochure as a Microsoft Word Document

To learn more about the Burwell School Girl Scout Patch or to schedule a program, please contact us.