Friday, November 30, 2007
Museum educator is O’Bannon Heritage Award winner
|
JoAnne Spiller, a museum educator with the Jefferson County Historical Society in Madison, Indiana, is the recipient of Historic Southern Indiana’s 2007 Frank and Judy O’Bannon Heritage Enrichment Award, given to an individual who is an exemplary model of community education through such activities as community heritage, heritage/cultural tourism, historic preservation, and historical interpretation in the HSI region, which includes 26 counties in southern Indiana. Spiller was nominated for the award by Joseph D. Carr, director of the Jefferson County Historical Society. He wrote, “With her enthusiasm and creativity, she has led our educational programming into regional leadership. She is a well-known advocate for local heritage. As our only paid educator, she has recruited countless volunteers, young and old, and her programs reach hundreds of children every year.” Those programs include a week-long summer history camp for elementary school children with daily themes such as Native Americans, immigrants, industry, and the development of the area; two-hour in-school day camps in elementary schools; school programs for grades two through five; the Heritage Days Festival, during which fourth graders visit area museums; girl and boy scout museum trips; an annual Children’s Art Exhibit; and a campaign that raised $25,000 for a children’s gallery in the Historical Society’s Heritage Center. Spiller received a check for $1,000 and a plaque at HSI’s annual meeting, held at the Leora Brown School in Corydon, Indiana. For more information about HSI, an outreach program of USI, click here. Wendy Knipe Bredhold News and Information Services 812/461-5259 wkbredhold@usi.edu |
Copyright © 2013 University of Southern Indiana. All rights reserved.