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The Rotary Clubs of Cody and Powell are partnering with the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation (HMWF) to expand outreach of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center through the development of formal high school, college and university curriculum, the building of informational kiosks, and the development of technological tools to expand the outreach of the HMIC through virtual tools, interactive webpage design and a distance learning program. Teamwork between the high school, college, university, HMIC and Cody and Powell Rotarians will create a truly sustainable project impacting individuals across the world. This project has the support of the local college and high school and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center operates under the Heart Mountain Wyoming
Foundation (HMWF), which was formed in 1996 and obtained its federal 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt status in 1997. Since then, the HMWF has worked to preserve the site that
represents a period in U.S. history following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when 120,000
persons of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of them American-born citizens, were
deprived of due process and forced to leave their homes and livelihoods to be
incarcerated in "Relocation Centers". Heart Mountain was one of ten centers that
became temporary homes until WWII was over. The primary duty of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center (HMIC) is to educate the public about the experience of incarceration, the diverse personal responses to the Japanese Americans imprisonment, constitutional issues and violations of civil liberties and rights. The broader issues of race and social justice in America are addressed as well for visitors to contemplate.
Please see the attached documents for a full Project description with additional illustration, letters of support and photos. The Project is outlined in two phases, and includes the following:
• Establishment of a 6-week curriculum based on civics, communication and vocational arts standards for the National Board of professional Teaching in the United States and the CORE curriculum.
• Creation of narratives, or informational text, for four interpretive panels to be installed.
• Building of informational kiosks designed and fabricated by students.
• Creation of webpages designed by students.
• Installation of kiosks at the Heart Mountain National Historic Landmark Site at the barrack, root cellar, hospital area and guard tower.
• Free teacher training workshops, held at the Center, one each year in order to outline additional developments the second year.
• Creation of a distance-learning program that can be used at the high school and university level.
• Development of interactive educational webpage.
• Creation of virtual tours through QR codes.
• Creation of Materials for Teachers to use in their classrooms.
As documented, this Project includes cooperative, hands-on, work by HMIC staff and volunteers, Powell and Cody Rotarians and high school and college (vocational and academic) instructors and students.
The total budget for the project is $35,000, and a detailed description of budget allocation is contained in the attached documents. Of this amount, the Rotary Clubs of Powell and Cody would each contribute $2000, for a total of $4000 Club Contribution, requesting an additional $31,000 through the Local Global Grant.
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