Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center Educational Programs

The Heritage Center welcomes your school or scout field trip. View these PDFs for more information.

Scout Programs

• Please contact Curator of Education, Megan Griffin, regarding current Girl Scout, Cub Scout, and Boy Scout programs. (865) 448-0044 or megan.gsmhc@yahoo.com
• 2013 Girl Scout Day Registration Form
• 2012 Smoky Mtn Heritage Day for Girl Scouts list of references/journeys (April 22, 2012)
• 2011 Cub Scout Day Achievements (October 29, 2011)

Boy Scout Troop 777 meets at the Heritage Center under the leadership of Scoutmaster Andy Morton. Troop 777 will be meeting at the Heritage Center twice monthly on Tuesday evenings.

Scouting programs at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center are sponsored by Mary and Mike Crawford. Girl Scout Day 2013 is sponsored by Mary and Mike Crawford and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Youth interested in community service projects at the Heritage Center should contact Megan Griffin at (865) 448-0044 or megan.gsmhc@yahoo.com.

School Field Trips

• Field Trip Brochure
• Guidelines for Students
• Heritage Center Map
• Risk Assessment Statement
• Heritage Center Mission Statement
• Transportation Assistance Fund Application

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Students on field trips from schools located inside Blount County receive FREE admission! Some activities, such as crafts and cooking activities, require a small additional fee for materials, as seen in the brochure. Field trip admission for schools outside Blount County is $3.00 per student.
• Teachers and bus drivers receive free admission; all other chaperones pay $3.00 each.
• Seating space is available for eating lunch, however there are no vending machines on site.
• Please call at least two weeks in advance to schedule your visit. Available dates fill up quickly. Schedule as early as possible to reserve your desired date.
• Please have students divided into groups before you arrive. We will discuss group size together.

Museum Rules

1. No food or drink in Galleries.
2. No gum anywhere on the premises.
3. No flash photography inside the Galleries.

Helpful Tips

• It is a good idea to gather the lunches into large boxes and coolers and bring them into the Center when you arrive. Please do not have each child carry his or her own lunchbox, and do not leave lunches on the bus.
• Field trips to the Heritage Center usually include time spent outdoors and doing crafts, where clothes may get soiled. Students should wear comfortable shoes and play clothes. No flip-flops, please.
• Buses may park on either side of the driveway or in the gravel lot next to the paved parking lot. Drop-off and pick-up will be in the circle at the front door of the Heritage Center. Bus drivers receive complimentary admission to the Heritage Center.
• Please verify the time of your departure with the bus driver on the morning of your visit. Occasionally, bus drivers must leave the Heritage Center at an earlier time in order to return to school for afternoon pick-ups.

Educational programs at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center are made possible through grants from the following organizations:

Clayton Foundation
DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc.
Foothills Kiwanis
Walmart of Alcoa
Walmart of Maryville

New Outreach Programs Offered to Area Schools

For an elementary-age student, a school field trip to the Heritage Center is a truly unique experience. Grinding corn with a mortar and pestle like prehistoric Native Americans did, tasting food cooked on the open hearth, and listening to the echo of a 100-year old church bell are all activities that bring to life the history of this amazing region and its people. Many teachers bring their students back to the Heritage Center year after year to "do history." But sometimes an off-campus trip is just not possible due to scheduling conflicts, the rising cost of transportation, or other factors. Now, the Heritage Center is offering the next best thing--a new outreach program that brings Smoky Mountain history right to the classroom!

Small Settlers is a 90-minute, in-classroom program that teaches pre-K through 3^rd grade students about early settlement of East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains. Clothed in workshirts, overalls, and aprons, children are transported back in time to a way of life that included hard work and cooperation. Chores such as churning butter, sifting cornmeal, scrubbing clothes on a washboard, carding wool, and carrying water are combined with old-fashioned toys and games. The program has been a hit with teachers and students, alike. When asked what influence the early settlers had on our lives today, one second grader wrote, "They made inventions that made life easier," and another wrote, "Thanks to the settlers, I have an awesome life!"

Teachers interested in an outreach program should contact Megan Griffin, Curator of Education, at (865) 448-0044 or megan.gsmhc@yahoo.com to schedule. Small Settlers is available for groups of up to 25 children, and up to three presentations can be scheduled in one day at the same venue. Discounts are available when booking multiple presentations. Other themes are coming soon!

Development of GSMHC outreach programs has been made possible by

DENSO Manufacturing
Foothills Kiwanis
Walmart of Alcoa
Walmart of Maryville