The Pioneer Valley History Network is a resource for local history organizations in western Massachusetts—and the public they serve.

• Click the Sites link to learn more about these organizations.
• Check out and attend upcoming events.

PVHN welcomes your history-related questions and genealogical inquiries!  Contact us at: pioneervalleyhistory@gmail.com

• Learn how your favorite historical society can benefit from PVHN’s Summer Themes, Gatherings & Workshops, and Special Projects.
• Get involved!
• And let us know your thoughts below:

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PVHN Presents:

HISTORY CAMP PIONEER VALLEY 2019

Your Homespun History Un-Conference

to be held:
Saturday, July 27, 2019 at the
Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College

This gathering of history enthusiasts of all ages for a day of learning and sharing, will be PVHN’s 4th annual History Camp Pioneer Valley. It’s based on the “un-conference” model developed by History Camp Boston. What is an “un-conference”? In short, it’s a self-organizing conference. People who share a common interest get together and create the framework for the event:

* The topics that are presented are the ones of interest to the presenters.
* No committee will “screen” the topics and requesting a time-slot is easy. Anyone can present.
* The sessions that are well-attended are the ones that are of interest to the attendees.
* It’s an incredibly democratic way to gather and share information.

The cost is low — the goal is to break even. There are no paid staff, no paid speakers, and no one will profit. We want your participation. There will also be plenty of opportunity for networking and an exhibit area for selling books and other history-related products. There is no specific theme, but please, no political diatribes or sales pitches for commercial products or services. Other than that, the sky is the limit.

To Register to Attend or Present, go to: http://historycamp.org/pioneer-valley
For more Information, contact us at: pioneervalleyhistory@gmail.com

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THE “FUTURE OF OUR PAST”

The Pioneer Valley History Network (PVHN) is spearheading a bold new project that will help small, historical societies, museums, and archives protect our local history.  The project, called “The Future of Our Past,” is enabling eight local historical institutions in the Pioneer Valley to enhance their capabilities to protect the documents, artifacts, and photographs that tell our region’s history.

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To read more about the “Future of Our Past” project, click here.

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The curriculum chosen, the “Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations,” or StEPs program, will help the participating history organizations assess their policies and practices and work towards meeting national museum standards. The StEPs program uses a Basic, Good, Better system of performance indicators to help even the smallest of organizations make incremental, but meaningful improvements in their operations, including collections care, and in serving their communities.

StEPs is a self-paced curriculum, however, experience has shown that participants achieve greater success by working together in a group. The collegiality developed by working on the tasks together, creates a positive experience for the participants, leading to greater achievement.

For more information about the meetings and about the project, contact the Pioneer Valley History Network at: pioneervalleyhistory@gmail.com

This project is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities…

and by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (Franklin Fund; the Nan and Matilda Heydt Fund, administered by Bank of America, Trustee; and the Joan Walker Memorial Fund).

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