CHATHAM – Monomoy Regional Middle School has been selected to participate in a pilot history education program created in collaboration with the musical Hamilton.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Hamilton have launched a digital version of its innovative education program called The “Hamilton Education Program Online.”
The pilot program will work with 76 schools from across the country, including Monomoy Regional Middle School, and will be offered free to schools serving grades 6 through 12.
Middle school students at Monomoy will engage in a custom-designed education program that integrates the study of American history with the performing arts.
Students in grade 7 will have a chance to participate in the Hamilton program as part of the schools seminar offerings, with the course co-taught by Library Media Specialist and Enrichment teacher Cheri Armstrong and History teacher Jake Sumner.
“I think my students are going to love the program, they’re going to be ecstatic, they sing the Hamilton songs in chorus, they know the words to the songs, it’s been a great introduction to them to get an overview of American History,” said Armstrong.
“I think they’re going to respond very enthusiastically to it, they’ll also really like the part where they have the creativity to create their own performance.”
Among the programs many features, students will have access to a wealth of materials on the #EduHamOnline website, including information about more than 45 Founding Era figures, 14 events, and 24 key documents, as well as 175 supporting documents, video clips from Hamilton, and more.
“This program, which combines the historical expertise of the Gilder Lehrman Institute with the interactive appeal of Hamilton, will help Monomoy Middle School students better understand and interpret the lessons of history and civics,” said Mark Wilson, Monomoy Middle School Principal.
“It will truly bring these important lessons to life.”
As part of the Hamilton Education Program, students will be encouraged to use their newfound knowledge to create original pieces, a song, a rap, spoken word, or scene, at the end of their classroom studies.
“We’re very excited to make the Hamilton Education Program more readily available to a wider age group of students across the country,” said James G. Basker, president of the Glider Lehrman Institute.
“We hope that every school in America takes advantage of this opportunity, which provides both an educational and entertaining experience for students.”
All participants will have the opportunity to enter their work in both a national competition and lottery.
Winners, who will be judged by members of the Hamilton team, as well as regional educators, will be selected once a year and invited to New York City to attend and all-expenses-paid, full-day theater experience, which will include attending a matinee performance of Hamilton.
“From everything that has come out of Hamilton, I am most proud of EduHam and of the students who have created their own incredible work from primary sources,” said Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“I’m thrilled by the storytelling that comes out of the EduHam curriculum and the hunger it awakens in students who are empowered to dig deeper and find inspiration from our collective history.”
The pilot program is being funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, which generously provided the seed funding for the creation of the Hamilton Education Program in 2016.
Monomoy Regional Middle School serves approximately 490 students in grades 5 through 7 from Chatham, Harwich, and a dozen other Cape Cod towns.
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