Village News

While our Education Program for children and young people is available year round, it is most active May through August. This summer our Education Program team consisted of Coordinator Angela Neufeld and her assistant, Blayne Stobbe. Angela and Blayne worked together very well, coming up with creative ideas for teaching and entertaining the children.

At Mennonite Heritage Village, learning is at the heart of everything we do for adults and children alike. We are dedicated to ensuring that our Education Program is not only a fun and memorable experience, but also a learning experience. We offer a variety of programs throughout the year which teachers can choose from:

• Winter program (February – mid-April)
• Hands-on learning (May – June)
• Interpretive learning (May – June)
• Guided tours (May – September)
• Self-guided tours (May – September)
• Daycare visits (interpretive during July – August)
• Pioneer Day Camp (1 week program each month in July and August)
• Structures program (October)

Although each of these programs is presented in a slightly different format, the message still conforms to our mission statement and to our strategic priority of engaging future generations for years to come. Some of our fundamental strategic initiatives are not only to run a curriculum for primary grades but also to develop relationships with local high schools and post-secondary institutions. We have found that developing a specific new theme for MHV each year and then integrating that theme into each of the above-mentioned programs has added new avenues of interest and forms of interpretation.

This year’s participant count was as follows: January to April – 219; May – 976; June – 1914; July – 266; August (to date) – 195. The 3570 total compares with a total of 3380 for the same time period last year.

The week-long day-camps, in July for ages 5-8 and in August for children aged 9-12, had a total of 19 campers for the two camps. A recurring highlight for the campers was the variety of rides, whether it was the barrel train, the horse-drawn wagon, or Steinbach’s first fire-truck. While they did many typical camp activities, they were often viewed through a pioneer lens. For example, team-building activities became metaphors for the struggles of migration. We also visited a number of the Village’s buildings with volunteer interpreters demonstrating and then aiding the children as they completed tasks like forming rings from horseshoe nails, printing bags for the general store, or adjusting the shutters on the windmill’s sails. Pioneer Day Camp was a unique exciting, experience where the campers will cherish the memories.

While MHV staff administer the program, they are highly dependent on volunteers to serve as the program delivery people. Each day, depending on the programs offered that day, 10-15 volunteers graciously give their time, their considerable talent, and their knowledge to teach the students. This program also depends on government grants to help cover labour costs and on sponsorships by interested businesses and individuals to provide additional support. We are grateful to all the faithful volunteers who serve willingly and frequently, as well as the sponsors who help keep this program viable.

Anyone wishing to learn more about the MHV Education Program may refer to our website at www.mhv.ca. Booking forms and more detailed information are available here.