STUDENTS MAKE CULTURAL CONNECTIONS VIA TRAVELING MEL FISHER EXHIBIT 

MARATHON, Fla. — Students at Marathon High are enjoying a virtual tour of the shared histories of Florida and Cuba through a partnership with the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West.

This year’s exhibit, Connections: Florida and Cuba, was brought to the school by media specialist Kathy Lancaster as part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. Eight informational “pop up” panels provide an overview of the long history of American-Cuban relations including battles for ownership, slavery in the New World, culture, entertainment, tense neighbors, modern migration, and other topics.

Eighth grade social studies teacher Jeannette Maresma said, “This year’s exhibit included information especially pertinent to the lives of many of our students. One student looked at the modern migration panel about the 1980 Muriel Boatlift and told her teammates, ‘This is what my Grandpa was telling me about!’ The students also enjoyed the new interactive component, QR codes on the panels that linked the students to relevant videos.”

In addition to classroom tours, a special open house is planned on Tuesday, October 3, at 6:00 pm in the school media center during the School Advisory Committee meeting so parents and friends can view the exhibit.

This museum for Florida schools was created by the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West and funded, in part, by a grant from the State of Florida’s Bureau of Historical Resources. “We wanted to expand the reach of Florida’s maritime stories,” explained the museum’s CEO Melissa Kendrick.  “The concept of a Pop-Up Museum seemed the perfect match to reach new audiences.”

October 5th was the last day the exhibit was on display. Missed school days cut the tour short, but will have an opportunity to re-schedule the event for later in the school year.  The Monroe County School District serves approximately 8,800 students throughout the upper, middle, lower keys, and Key West.  The accredited school district consists of 10 public schools, six charter schools, as well as alternative and virtual programs. For more information about the district’s vision and mission, visit www.keysschools.com. Follow us on Facebook @MYMCSD, on Twitter @keysschools, and on Instagram @MYMCSD.  Follow the Superintendent on Twitter @supt_porter.

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.melfishermuseum.org.

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