News Release: Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum Receives Grant for Study Trips
AUBURN CORD DUESENBERG AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM NEWS RELEASE - 07/10/10 For Immediate Release CONTACT: Kendra Klink, Operations Director July - 2010 260-925-1444 / info@automobilemuseum.org Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum receives grant from the Collectors Foundation for Study Trips AUBURN - The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum recently received a grant of $5,000 from the Collectors Foundation to its Beyond the Classroom program. The program provides study trips for area students that fulfill Indiana's Academic Standards in a variety of subjects. In 2009, over 1,100 northeast Indiana students participated in the program. Since 2001, a total of 12,000 students have participated in study trips. The Collectors Foundation is an educational grant-making organization founded by Hagerty Insurance and funded by collector vehicle and classic boat enthusiasts to serve youth development and the long-term interest of the collector vehicle and classic boat communities. More information about the Foundation can be found on its website: www.collectorsfoundation.org <http://www.collectorsfoundation.org/> . The museum's educational-services department began offering Beyond the Classroom study trips in 2001. Jon Bill, the museum's director of education and archives, is the program's director. A graduate of Purdue University, with a major in Industrial Education, Bill taught Technology Education for 34 years before joining the museum staff in 2001. Through the program, area teachers bring their students to the museum to learn intriguing lessons in mathematics, history, science, technology, economics, art and even accounting via live presentations, exhibits and hands-on activities. The curriculums are designed to meet Indiana Academic Standards. More than one Standard can be fulfilled in one visit. For instance, when fourth-grade students, who are required to learn Indiana history, visit the Cars of Indiana Gallery, which tells the overarching story of cars made in Indiana and ties to this story the history of cars made in Indiana cities and towns, students can fulfill Academic Standards in four subjects: history, math, science and language arts. Custom programs can also be created for the needs of a classroom. The following are a sampling of study trip activities that teach mathematics, art and automotive design either on-site in the museum's galleries and Education Center, or off-site at area schools: Mathematics: To answer the question of "which car accelerates the fastest?", students are asked to locate and gather the weights and horsepower ratings of cars in the museum, like the 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton and the 1963 Jaguar XK-E. Then by dividing the car's weight by its horsepower, they calculate the car's weight to horsepower ratio and determine which car wins the acceleration race. Art History: Because the museum's facility is one of the Midwest's premier examples of restored art deco design, it presents a perfect learning opportunity for art students. Students learn about the art deco movement and study the art deco artwork that is part of the museum structure. Then they are led through a process to create their own art deco designs. Assembly Line Simulation: A model truck assembly line can be set up at the museum to teach students how a modern production line operates and the advantages of assembly line production. Students are assigned "jobs" to perform as a model wood truck is assembled from the frame to the finished product. . "Time and again, we observe that when youth experience the museum's breathtaking automobiles and learn about the inspiring entrepreneurial story of E.L. Cord and the automotive innovations and designs that were created right here in northeast Indiana, it instills pride in the youth who live in this region and interest in learning more about this country's automotive heritage. We are extremely grateful to the Collectors Foundation for this support," said Laura Brinkman, the museum's executive director/CEO. Study trips for groups of up to 100 students run from 90 minutes to over two hours. School groups are charged $1.00 per student. There is no charge for teachers, chaperons and bus drivers. The museum recommends one chaperon for every eight students. Docents are available to guide and answer questions during student tours, and teaching resource kits are available to supplement classroom topics. To schedule a study trip for your students, contact Jon Bill at 260-925-1444 or info@automobilemuseum.org. The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum - where the world's finest cars of yesterday live today! Over 120 classic, antique, vintage and special interest cars are displayed with other automotive related exhibits on three floors. The museum is located in the original 1930s national headquarters of the legendary Auburn Automobile Company and is a National Historic Landmark. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. year round. In 2010, visit the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a place where automotive history comes to life! Shop the Museum Store Online today! automobilemuseum.org Kendra Klink Operations Director Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK Accredited by the American Association of Museums 1600 South Wayne Street P.O. Box 271 Auburn, Indiana 46706 Office: (260) 925-1444 x 32 Fax: (260) 925-6266 kendrak@automobilemuseum.org <http://www.automobilemuseum.org> www.automobilemuseum.org <https://twitter.com/ACD_Auto_Museum>