The Washington County Fair Farm Museum
with its Perkins Hollow one-room schoolhouse
is hosting the annual Conference of the Country
School Association of America June 14-17
at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs and
the Washington County Fair Farm Museum in
Greenwich.
The Skidmore College campus and the Fair
Farm Museum will host two days of presentations
and workshops on early schooling, curriculum
and preservation of historic country
schools. There will also be local displays and
presentations featuring area schoolhouses, the
slate industry, the Ticonderoga pencil, and other
related topics.
A charter bus tour of preserved and restored
school buildings is set for day three of the event.
The CSAA is for people who wish to preserve
schools, create or maintain museums, promote
living history programs, and allow children of
all ages to experience schooling as it was many
years ago, organizers said. It gives senior citizens
a chance to relive their fondest schoolhouse
memories, offers educators and writers a forum
to share research and publishes a country school
journal of articles.
Registration information along with a look at
conference presentations and presenters can be
found on the website www.countryschoolassociationofamerica.org or through its Facebook page.
CSAA also offers a variety of financial grants
and award programs. Funding is available for
preservation efforts, disaster relief, and conference
attendance. There are awards for publications,
videos, websites and other artistry items
promoting the country schooling experience.
Further details of the grant and awards are
listed on the website.
The CSAA brings a diverse group of individuals
together including museum volunteers, teachers,
staff, faculty and students, preservationists,
historians, re-enactors and interested citizens,
to exchange ideas and resources. The CSAA
holds an annual conference, provides a grant
program, awards publication and video prizes,
conducts surveys and publishes an electronic
newsletter, all in support of the country schooling
experience.
The CSAA states it is for people who wish to
preserve schools, create or maintain museums,
promote living history programs, and allow
children of all ages to experience schooling as it
was many years ago. It allows seniors a chance to
relive their fondest schoolhouse memories, while
offering educators and writers a forum to share
research. The organization encourages research
on country schooling and provides a forum for
those who wish to publish their articles.
Officials said the annual conference grows
larger as a forum for exchanging ideas among
academics, preservationists, re-enactors, and
just plain history buffs.
Photo Courtesy Washington County Fair Farm Museum