Massachusetts Cultural Council Provides Vital Organizational Support

Continued operational support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) enabled Primary Source to expand its use of educational technology and offer a broad array of programs during the 2007-2008 school year. MCC, a Massachusetts state agency that helps to sustain a wide variety of cultural initiatives and organizations in the Commonwealth, has provided vital funding to Primary Source for nearly a decade.

Over the past year, this funding has made possible the development of online resource pages for each of Primary Source's courses. Through these sites, teachers can access course materials and connect to additional resources online. Educators have found the new resource a valuable and flexible way to enhance their learning experience.

MCC support has strengthened Primary Source's operational capacity and facilitated the development of exciting programs that fall outside of the organization's core offerings. Global Art Traditions in the United States, for example, was a well-received 2008 Primary Source course that explored the impact of international artistic traditions in the contemporary United States. MCC funding also enabled the organization to offer a book discussion group examining immigrant and refugee experiences through a child's perspective as well as a film series that explored the tension between traditional ways of life and modern society in a variety of international contexts.

In partnership with MCC, Primary Source continues to provide critical, responsive programming for educators across Massachusetts.

Above: Teachers Richard Geckle, Natick Public Schools, and Ilene Lieberman, Wayland Public Schools, stand in front of "Next Stop Natick," a mural at the Natick Center train station. The 125 foot long, 25 foot high mural was designed and painted by Natick middle and high school students under the guidance of artist David Fichter.