Fort Ticonderoga’s outreach programs to regional classrooms recently received grant funding to support programs during the 2015-16 school year. Grant support from the Lake Placid Education Foundation and the Walter Cerf Community Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation will enable eighteen Grade 4 classrooms in the Adirondacks and western Vermont to participate in the “Soldier’s Life at Fort Ticonderoga” program presented by Fort Ticonderoga staff.
“Students take an interdisciplinary approach to learning about the key role of Fort Ticonderoga during the early years of the American Revolution. They discuss equipping and feeding an army in a remote location while incorporating geography, math, and language arts skills,” said Judy Contompasis, Fort Ticonderoga’s School and Youth Programs Coordinator. “They explore the daily life of soldiers through hands-on experiences with high-quality reproductions of items that soldiers carried during the Revolution. Students obtain an understanding of the purpose and function of each item and the larger concepts related to service in America’s War for Independence.”
Last year Fort Ticonderoga’s staff provided 23 outreach programs for 869 students in eastern New York and western Vermont, logging over 1,800 miles in travel.
Grant funding is available on a first come, first served basis for Grade 4 classrooms within the Adirondack Park and Vermont’s Addison County. Participating schools pay a modest $25 fee while the remainder of the program fee and all mileage costs are covered by the grants. Teachers interested in booking a program should contact Judy Contompasis at 518-585-6370 or by email at jcontompasis@fort-ticonderoga.org. Programs are available November 2015-April 2016.