Summer Camp Thank You

The halls of The Bryan Museum echoed with small feet the week of July 27, elementary and middle school students took part in The Bryan History Camp. Campers from 10 different Galveston schools were led by two Texas history teachers and four college and spent the week immersed in a variety of history-focused crafts, games, gallery tours, guest speakers, drama and art projects.

Each day started with a docent-led tour of a different gallery in the Museum. A camper favorite was the large diorama of the Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Frontier Gallery. Campers participated in outside activities such as a garden scavenger hunt which included learning about the historic building, the former Galveston Orphans Home, and identifying the sculptures from The Lost Bird Project. They learned to lasso, tried their hands at weaving and created their very own cattle brands.

Daily guest speakers and re-enactors entertained the campers with stories of the Texas Revolution, the life of Bernardo de Galvez, pioneer women, an exploration of their own family tree, and life and music on the frontier.

Reyna Collura, Director of Education at the Galveston Arts Center, taught an art class each day that included water color, printmaking and sculpture. Campers also took a drama class and wrote their own scripts incorporating characters and stories from Texas history. They performed their plays surrounded by their artwork on the last day of camp. Parents were able to connect and watch through Zoom.

All children and adults wore masks and campers were split into two groups to enforce social distancing. Volunteers and museum staff sanitized all rooms and equipment numerous times throughout the day.

The camp was generously funded by Texas Childhood Development Agency in coordination with Sea Star Base. The Bryan director Joan Marshall believes “these type of experiences widen a child’s world and help them connect to their own family history and that of their community. The camp was a great success and we hope to offer it again next year.  After the early close of the school year, campers really benefited from the interaction with their peers and teachers.”