2018 has been a year of transformation at the Martha's Vineyard Museum, as we successfully completed the renovation of an 1895 building into a new first-class campus in Vineyard Haven.

Despite all the changes, the Education department had a record year, working with over 70% of the Island’s schoolchildren. All classes are hands-on, blending art, history and culture to bring students memorable, fun learning experiences. During the summer, learning continued with Discovery Days twice a week providing children with focused lessons on topics such as whaling journals and Vineyard animals. During the summer, we also had 24 lucky kids who shared in the excitement of the new museum as they toured the classroom during construction. After exploring architectural details they sketched their discoveries in notebooks as a keepsake.

In 2019, all classes will take place in the new Museum classroom! Our first big project is on January 23rd when we will welcome the entire 2nd grade of Oak Bluffs Elementary for the first annual Heath Hen Day! Students will be greeted by a special banner hanging outside the classroom and then proceed to rotate through five learning stations sprinkled throughout the galleries. The classroom will act as “home base” to start the day but also at the end to share what they learned about extinction, oral histories, habitat and art. All Island schools will be invited to have their own Heath Hen Day throughout the year, as a signature event.