THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Bring history off the page: Raise Your Voice uses real flyers, buttons and banners to teach students how movements are built and how civic action happens. Ideal for grades 4–12, this 90-minute, hands-on program turns artifacts into practical lessons in organizing.
Bring history off the page: Raise Your Voice uses real flyers, buttons and banners to teach students how movements are built and how civic action happens. Ideal for grades 4–12, this 90-minute, hands-on program turns artifacts into practical lessons in organizing.
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Operated by Museum of the City of New York · New York, New York
Raise Your Voice is a 90-minute student program in New York, New York, offered by mcny that brings activist history into an interactive museum setting. The program locates its power in primary artifacts—flyers, buttons, banners, t‑shirts and ephemera—allowing students in grades 4–12 to handle or closely examine material culture from the Civil Rights Movement, the Stonewall uprising, garment workers’ strikes and other city-born campaigns. In focused gallery modules learners weigh tactical choices activists faced, debate whether change happens in incremental steps or breakthrough moments, and consider how neighborhood organizing shaped citywide outcomes. The scene here is urban and documentary rather than natural: the key features are display cases and handling stations, archival posters printed on newsprint, hand-lettered signs, and cloth banners whose fibers still carry traces of weather and wear from rallies. That tactile, forensic quality is what sets the program apart—the artifacts are not props but evidence, and that materiality makes history legible and urgent. Facilitators guide groups through source analysis: what does a flyer’s language reveal about intended audiences? How did production constraints shape strategy? These micro-lessons translate directly into civic practice for students ready to engage in community issues. Raise Your Voice is a practical fit for school groups: sessions run 90 minutes with a maximum of 35 students per group, and activities are scaffolded to suit middle and high school discussion levels. Teachers leave with classroom-ready prompts and action-oriented extensions so the museum visit becomes the start of a unit instead of a one-off field trip. The program’s location in New York gives it extra resonance—this city has been a persistent engine of American activism, and the program uses local examples so students connect national movements to neighborhoods they can map on a city grid. Accessibility details, exact meeting points and booking specifics are provided by mcny at the time of reservation; check the program referral link for current scheduling. Raise Your Voice is an ideal option for educators who want a hands-on civics lab where primary sources, critical thinking and practical organizing converge. It’s a sharp, focused experience that makes the messy work of social change readable, teachable and actionable—right in the place those movements unfolded. The curriculum emphasizes inquiry skills — sourcing, contextualization and corroboration — so students practice the same methods historians use to interpret evidence. Small group debates, quick primary-source close readings, and a short planning exercise help participants draft realistic outreach ideas they can pilot with classmates. Chaperones receive pre-visit materials and a follow-up packet that includes community partner contacts, suggested readings, and assessment rubrics. Booking is seasonal and aligns with the school year; group leaders should reserve several weeks in advance to secure dates and any available accessibility accommodations. Plan, reflect, act.
Raise Your Voice is designed for grades 4–12, with activities scaffolded for middle and high school levels.
Sessions run 90 minutes and accommodate a maximum of 35 students per group.
Some items are presented for close examination; any handling is supervised and limited to materials designated by staff or replicas.
Yes—teachers receive pre-visit materials and a follow-up packet with classroom prompts, readings and assessment rubrics.
Use the referral link in the listing to view current scheduling and to request accessibility accommodations at the time of booking.
Yes—activities focus on sourcing, contextualization and corroboration and can be aligned with civics, history and ELA standards.
Museum of the City of New York interprets and preserves the history, culture, and diversity of New York City. Located in New York, NY, the museum presents rotating exhibitions, permanent collections, and public programs that explore the city’s past and present. Visitors encounter artifacts, photographs, maps, costumes, and oral histories that illuminate neighborhoods, immigration, urban planning, activism, and Indigenous histories. The museum offers educational experiences designed for school groups and general audiences, including curriculum-linked field trips that engage students through hands-on activities, primary sources, and guided inquiry. Sample programs listed include Lenape Legacies and Futures, The Greatest Grid, Exploring New York through Artifacts, Revolutionary New York, Immigration and Communities, and Raise Your Voice. These programs combine object-based learning, storytelling, and participatory exercises to connect learners with New York’s complex stories. As an institution focused on city history and public education, the museum collaborates with educators, community organizations, and cultural partners to ensure programs reflect diverse perspectives and contemporary scholarship. Public programs and interpretive materials aim to be accessible and relevant to classroom learning objectives and community interests. The museum’s collections and exhibitions serve as primary resources for research, classroom exploration, and community engagement. By centering local stories and tangible artifacts, the institution supports critical thinking about urban change, identity, and civic life. Visitors and educators can rely on its staff and programs for informed, curriculum-aligned learning experiences about New York City. The museum also documents contemporary issues and provides resources for lifelong learners, researchers, and community members across the city daily.
Book with Museum of the City of New York