OLD FORT, N.C. (828newsNOW) — This summer, middle school teachers from across Western North Carolina are invited to apply for a professional development opportunity at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort, N.C. The workshop will provide teachers with ideas for educational opportunities at the museum, as well as other perks.

What is the Mountain Gateway Museum?

The Mountain Gateway Museum is one of seven regional history museums funded by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Located in Old Fort, the museum serves 38 counties between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Piedmont region. Exhibits provide glimpses into Southern Appalachian culture through the lens of traditional folk medicine, railroads and more. Guests can also take a step back in time to the 19th century through two cabins constructed in the late 1880s.

The museum was damaged during Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024, necessitating a temporary move to offices at 78-C Catawba Ave., Old Fort. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is free. Find more information here.

What workshop will the Mountain Gateway Museum offer teachers?

Between now and Tuesday, May 26, middle school teachers in WNC are invited to apply for a professional learning workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, July 27 at the museum, 78-C Catawba Ave. Applications can be submitted here.

As part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Mountain Gateway Museum workshop will grant teachers an opportunity to earn 0.5 Continuing Education Units, or CEUs. The professional development credits are required for educators to maintain their North Carolina Continuing Professional License, which expires every five years.

The workshop is open to up to 20 teachers, who will also receive:

• $100 stipend
• Lunch
• Networking opportunities
• Ideas for teaching opportunities at the Mountain Gateway Museum

What should teachers expect from the workshop?

Carly Collins, curator of education and collections at the Mountain Gateway Museum, said that the event has taken shape in the wake of Helene.

“Something that we’ve really struggled with since the hurricane has been getting more school groups to come here. Specifically, ones around here might not have the funding to do it,” Collins said. “Some people don’t even know about the Mountain Gateway Museum, and we also want to highlight all the programs we offer on-site and off-site.”

Collins said that the workshop was designed specifically for middle school teachers, rather than elementary school or high school, because sixth to eighth grade educators may need more assistance finding affordable, educational field trip opportunities for their students.

“We would like to have some more free programs to offer for schools that may not have the funding, or limited funding, to do those. We want to show all our programs to the teachers, and then maybe some more discussion about what we could offer them,” Collins said. “Any ideas they have, especially, even, off-site visits, ’cause those will not cost as much, compared to traveling here on a bus. 
So, it’s really just a way for teachers to see what we offer, what we’re thinking about and then what their ideas are.”

In eighth grade, North Carolina students learn state history, making Mountain Gateway Museum programs an apt fit for field learning. Many of the history exhibits at the museum are tactile and multidisciplinary, offering a wide variety of educational opportunities to teachers. Collins said activities could include a site scavenger hunt or book and butter-making workshops. A few new programs are in the works, too.

“With my colleague, Jesse Bricker, we have been working on a ‘Map Out Your Meal’ program,” Collins provided as an example. “Basically, you learn about different kinds of foods that people might have been eating in Southern Appalachia. Where they come from, like, where did you get the fish? It’s from a stream. Where did you get your berries or from the forest? 
Then we have this map that shows where each food originally came from, like the different countries and continents.”

In the meantime, teachers are encouraged to register for the workshop. While educators from all grade levels and WNC counties may apply, priority will be given to middle school teachers in McDowell, Burke, Mitchell, Yancey, Rutherford and Madison counties in an effort to expand access to programming at their schools. Applications for the workshop can be found here.

For more about the Mountain Gateway Museum, visit www.mgmnc.org.