Keeler In The Community
Grant from Liz and Steven Goldstone to Fund New School Program at KTM&HC
September 12, 2024
Ridgefield, Conn.— Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (KTM&HC) is thrilled to announce the launch of our new school program for America250. This program, made possible by a generous grant from Liz and Steven Goldstone, will provide students in grades 4-12 a deeper understanding of the Declaration of Independence and its profound impact on different people during the 18th century.
KTM&HC is taking the lead in Ridgefield to commemorate and celebrate the significant milestone of America250, alongside history organizations and communities nationwide. KTM&HC’s new school program will focus on increasing young people’s familiarity with, fluency in, and deeper understanding of the Declaration of Independence and its impact on people during the 18th century. The outreach program – where museum educators go into school classrooms to deliver content – will engage students in close readings of the Declaration and discussions about what the concepts of the document would have meant for the different people who lived on the museum’s site in 1776. Students will learn about the impact of the document on the life of Timothy Keeler, a Patriot and tavern-owner; Esther Keeler, a mother, businesswoman, and enslaver; Betty Isaac, a nine-year-old child enslaved by Esther Keeler as an infant; and the Keeler children, who were part of the first generation of Americans to grow up under the ideals of the Declaration.
“As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,” said KTM&HC Executive Director Hildegard Grob, “history organizations recognize the importance of ensuring that people of all ages think carefully and critically about the language and impacts of that founding document. We are so appreciative that Liz and Steven Goldstone are helping KTM&HC create new and meaningful opportunities to engage hundreds of students in thoughtful discussion about our history and its connections to today.”
The program will be open to all schools and districts and will debut in September 2025. It targets the school year that leads up to the July 2026 milestone anniversary. For more information or for advance bookings, contact education@keelertavernmuseum.org.