Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport will extend the reach, impact, and diversity of its first-person interpretation program which is a hallmark of the museum experience. New interpreters will conduct extensive historical research, participate in professional development opportunities, and create costumes to develop their characters. Existing interpreters will conduct additional historical research, and select interpreters will receive training to work in a virtual environment through the museum's innovative digital program. The museum's Virtual Classroom, a 21st-century information delivery system that brings first-person interpreters into classrooms via Skype, will greatly expand the educational reach of the first-person interpretation program and also enrich the Virtual Classroom as an educational offering. By delivering history through first-person interpretation, both in-person and through virtual programs, students, teachers, and the general public will have enhanced opportunities for self-directed learning.