PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission along with Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation are launching the Sankofa Mobile Museum.
It will travel to schools across Prince George's County and allow students to step into the county's history and experience people and places that shape the past and present. Organizers say students will be exposed to stories of local inhabitants from 10,000 years ago to today.
“Helping students understand the dynamic stories here in Prince George’s County and throughout the broader DMV,” said Marvin- Alonzo Greer who serves as the lead historic interpretation and community engagement officer.
The word "Sankofa" means "go back and fetch your history so that you can progress forward" in the Twi language of Ghana.
Greer says they wanted to get students outside the classroom for a more interactive unique experience. It blends history with technology. There’s augmented reality inside the trailer.
"Another station which is using virtual reality. So you have Oculus goggles and you’ll actually meet people from the past,” said Greer.
All those people connect to Prince George’s County in some way, shape or form. People you probably wouldn’t learn about in the traditional classroom. The stories have been preserved through word of mouth, or documented in books and diaries.
“So no one you see here at the Sankofa Mobile Museum will you read about in your textbooks, and we did that intentionally so that we could all see ourselves in history. How everyday people can make huge impacts on our community and our society. We wanted to find people that everyday people could identify with,” Greer said.
A new way for students in our area to connect with their past during what Greer describes as a crucial time for the future of education.
“With education being repealed in many states, here in Prince George’s County, we feel it’s more important than ever to really teach our history so we can heal as a nation and heal as a county.”
This is for all students in the county including public schools, private schools, and homeschool students, and it's free. For more information click here.