​Established in 1831 in Harveysburg, the Elizabeth Harvey Free Black School was the first free school for African American children in Ohio. In 1976, the Harveysburg Bicentennial Committee acquired the building and restored it. The building is now the home of the Harveysburg Community Historical Society and their community museum.

We wish to announce the establishment of The Elva Robinson Adams Educational Fund. This was made possible by a generous donation from her family. Elva Adams (pictured, left) served as Director of WCHS and was a noted author, educator and historian. This significant fund is to support learning about the art, history, and culture of Warren County. It will help educate teachers and students about the diverse collections here at the Harmon Museum. We are sincerely grateful to Dr. Jennifer Adams in guiding this initiative.

The first of these initiatives is the MUSEUM AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, a 7 month professional learning experience that aims to equip educators with the skills and knowledge to effectively integrate primary sources into their classroom curriculum across various subjects. Through monthly, in-person meetings, and engaging online workshops using protocols from Smithsonian and Harvard’s Project Zero, teachers will dive deep into the treasures at the Harmon Museum to develop tools that will enhance instruction. MAP teachers receive a stipend and meet THIRD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 10:30-12, NOVEMBER-MAY.

The second initiative, HARMON ARTS, is a monthly arts-integration program for children ages 5-14, offered on the THIRD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 1-2:30pm, OCTOBER -MAY. Children will create an object inspired by works in the museum collection, listen to a story read aloud, enjoy a guided visit to the galleries, and learn from museum experts. Art works made by students will be displayed at the museum for public view. Harmon Arts is for children ages 4-12.

These programs are supported in part by the ELVA ROBINSON ADAMS fund. The mission of this fund is to support programs and initiatives grounded in principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.