Introducing the second cohort of the Activating 21st Century Local History Training Program
The Vermont Historical Society is proud to announce its second cohort of the Activating 21st Century Local History Training Program for 2026!
The local historical societies and museums selected to participate are:
- Bellows Falls Historical Society
- Craftsbury Historical Society
- Fayston Historical Society
- Milton Historical Society
- Rupert Historical Society
- St. Albans Museum
Representatives from these six local historical societies and museums will spend the coming year working together to develop advanced skills in approaching their work from within an “Active Collections” framework. Guided by VHS staff, cohort members will establish collections priorities, right-size their collections, and energize their community engagement strategies to help increase organizational sustainability and ensure the continuing preservation of local history.??
This project also includes the development of the Active Collections Online Resource Center, which is available now for local historical societies and museums to use. More resources will continue to be added through the next year of the project.
The project launched in 2024, with an initial cohort that consisted of the Bixby Memorial Library of Vergennes, the Brookfield Historical Society, the Sharon Historical Society, the Thetford Historical Society, and the Waterbury Historical Society.
The Activating 21st Century Local History Training Program is supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services,?Grant 21MP-256386-OMS-24. The Vermont Historical Society is also grateful to multiple donors, including Marilyn Blackwell, and Lola van Wagenen & George Burrill, who contributed to sustaining the program.
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