Building Citizenship Skills through Living History

Old Fort Niagara Association's 'Building Citizenship Skills through Living History' program purpose is to create an interest in the region's history and in improved academic performance among at-risk youth in the Niagara Region, thus reducing rates of truancy and anti-social behavior. The project will serve two targeted audiences: youth between the ages of 10-18 in urban areas of Niagara and Erie Counties (New York) and on nearby Native American reservations. Over a three year period, Old Fort Niagara National Historic Landmark will work with school districts and local social service agencies to identify, recruit, and transport 2,000 at-risk youth to the historic site for a series of hands-on educational programs designed to engage the interest and enthusiasm of the target audience. Youth completing the hands-on program may return free of charge to share their learning experience with their family. The performance measures and the progress of the program will be measured by pre-and post-testing, the number of students returning with the family group, and by tracking academic performance, disciplinary occurrences, and truancy rates of students completing the program. NCA/NCF