About Massie

Massie Heritage Center is a Museum of Savannah’s History and Architecture, providing educational opportunities for school children and the public at large. Part of the Savannah Chatham County Public School System, it is housed in the Massie Common School building that dates back to 1856.

 For details visit www.massieschool.com : email steve.smith@sccpss.com or call our office at 912 395-5070.

2019 CMA
Award of Excellence

Massie Heritage Center has been awarded the Coastal Museums Association’s Award of Excellence in Education and Interpretation for our program, “Pinching Pottery and Weaving Walls: American Indian STEAM”.
This program was created to help 3^rd grade teachers meet recent changes in the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) related to American Indian settlement across North America

 Savannah-Chatham County Public School teachers expressed a desire for a more local and place-based approach. The program is an interactive STEAM program that can be performed at Massie Heritage Center, or in a classroom setting.

 Recently, SCCPSS schools have popularized “STEAM Nights” as an exciting community event celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Massie’s American Indian programs quickly became a favorite during “STEAM Nights” 

One of the most crucial aspects of the 3rd grade GSE is that students understand how the geography, environment and resources affected the American Indians and how/where they settled. This complex relationship between Coastal Georgia's American Indians and our unique geography is something that we wanted to interpret in depth using hands-on STEAM activities. Using the exact same pottery or weaving technique that the American Indians used provides students and visitors with a fresh look on historic material. 

 In addition to the estimated 2,000 students from the SCCPSS that attended this program as a field trip, we also brought this program to 5 STEAM nights- reaching Savannah families throughout the low-country.     

 Left to right: Jim Jansen, SCAD, Rachel Warren, Massie,
   Elise Butler, President, CMA (presented the awards), 
     Rachel Strayer, Telfair Museums, Ayela Khuhro

 Coastal Museums Association
Local History Achievement Award 

Massie Awarded
the GHS Roger K. Warlick

Alumni  Gathering 

MEET OUR DOCENT VOLUNTEERS

Click here if you would like to volunteer!

MASSIE HERITAGE CENTER LAUNCHES FREE

'DIGITAL STEAM PROGRAMMING FOR SUMMER 

Massie Heritage Center will offer STEAM-based activities, curiosities, and challenges digitally for families to enjoy this summer. 

On June 1, 2020 Massie will premiere a new blog, “Summer @ Massie: at Home,” to connect with the public, marking a transition from their beloved in-person summer camps and programming into a new digital era. The free resources will be updated weekly to provide quality content throughout summer. 

Rachel Bradshaw, Heritage Specialist for Massie, said, “as part of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, we wanted to create a platform for students and families to be inspired while discovering Savannah’s heritage.” 

The digital format allows Massie to share with the public and Heritage Specialist Ayela Khuhro added that, “many of the resources will encourage viewers to go outside and explore their neighborhood, use their imagination, and create art.” 

To kick-off the new blog, the first week will ask viewers to consider their own heritage. Projects will have a personal or local focus. One post, “Alma Thomas: Georgia’s Out-of-this-World Artist,” features the life and work of the Columbus native. With an immersive video presentation and how-to tutorial, viewers can create their own exhibition of artwork inspired by her. In addition to the free online content, Summer @ Massie To-Go Kits featuring materials and souvenirs will be available for purchase. Scholarships will also be available for materials. 

About Massie: Massie opened as a school for Savannah’s poor children in 1856 and now operates within the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System as Massie Heritage Center, Savannah’s Museum for History and Architecture.

For questions and comments contact Steven Smith, director of Massie at 912-395-1604 or steve.smith@sccpss.com

Visit summeratmassie.com on June 1, 2020 to discover more.

Reading and Web-Based Activities 

History:

• Civil Rights and Civil
   Wrongs
• History is Monumental
•  Savannah in the Civil
   War 
•  Savannah in the Civil War Assessment 
• A River Runs Through It 
•  A River Runs Through It Assessment  

Native American:

• Making Fire with a Bow & Drill 
• Paleo Indian Hunting
• Archaic Hunting Technology
• Flint Knapping and Clovis Points
• Woodland Hunting Technology
• Uses of Deer Hides

As a celebration of Black Heritage Month, Massie Heritage Center is proud to present a community collaborative exhibit with the City of Savannah Municipal Archives

                Go Down to Savannah: 
         W.W. Law’s Negro Heritage Trail

Westley Wallace Law (1923-2002) was born in Savannah, Georgia, in an era of great inequality and social injustice. He earned a modest income as a postman and would become an icon of civil rights as a historian, teacher, preservationist and an inspiring presence in the community. This display sheds light on a unique aspect of Law’s legacy, with documents and images capturing the inception and early years of the Negro Heritage Trail in historic Savannah. Law designed the tour to support the King Tisdell Cottage which he saved from demolition, throwing Savannah into the national spotlight along with major cities such as Washington and New York to offer a guided black heritage tour.

February 10th – March 31^st, 2020

The 2019 Georgia Council for the Social Studies Conference was held October 10-11, in Athens, GA.

The Mission of the Georgia Council for the Social Studies is to advocate for, support, and celebrate the advancement of quality social studies teaching for Georgia students.

At the annual conference Massie Heritage Center was presented the Program of Excellence Award for their programming on American Indian Cultures.

Ayela Khuhro and Rachel Warren, Heritage Education Specialists
Steven Smith, Curator
Massie Heritage Center

Watch as Kim Gusby of WSAV interviews, Massie Heritage Specialist, Rachel Bradshaw about Summer Camps at Massie.

Massie Heritage Center:
Honoring Our Guides
One of our program guides, Charlotte Landon, was the first city guide to be certified under the new certification system. 

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