Museum studies scholarship offered

Garfield Farm Museum recently announced the founding of a $2,000 scholarship for graduate studies in museum administration.

The Garfield Farm Museum Historic Administration Scholarship Fund has been established within the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.

This annual scholarship is focused on students at the masters level or higher, pursuing degrees in historic administration, public history, museum administration or related fields of study who preferably have demonstrated a strong commitment to the preservation of historic sites through their studies, work experience, volunteer or other community activities.

Potential applicants from the southern half of Kane County and Kendall County enrolled at an accredited college or university are encouraged to inquire of the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley by calling (630) 896-7800 or visit www.CommunityFoundationFRV.org.

Outstanding candidates that live in close proximity to the Fox Valley in Will, DuPage or northern Kane County, also will be given due consideration.

The successful candidate also will be given special consideration if she or he later apply for Garfield Farm Museum's Graduate Student Internship Program.

Ron Yenerich, a friend and donor to Garfield Farm Museum, approached the museum with the proposal of establishing such a scholarship. The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley (formerly known as the Aurora Foundation) will handle all the administration of the scholarship funds and applications.

This scholarship is an important extension of the museum's educational goal to provide opportunity to all age levels and academic endeavors. From grade schoolers making their first visit to a historic farm to adult volunteers learning how to create and support a non-profit organization, the impact of Garfield Farm Museum as an educational institution exceeds the common perception of what a museum does.

Since 1983 the museum has sought graduate school interns to help them get hands on experience of running a historic site from the ground up. This is at the heart of its mission to educate the public in the inseparable story of this country's heritage, its agricultural bounty and blessings of nature. The goal of the farm is to be a hands on learning experience in daily life of 1840s farming. In working toward that goal and the museum has shared hands-on experiences of how to create such a museum through experiences in building restoration, prairie management, rare breeds livestock care, historic demonstrations, event planning and management, public speaking, volunteer management, fundraising, and networking.

The 370-acre Garfield Farm Museum is the only historically intact former 1840s Illinois prairie farmstead and teamster inn being restored by donors and volunteers from 2,800 households in 37 states as an 1840s working farm museum. The farm is owned by the nonprofit Campton Historic Agricultural Lands with Garfield Heritage Society providing the interpretation of the site through tours and programs.

Garfield Farm Museum is located on Garfield Road, off Route 38, 5 miles west of Geneva. The museum is open for drop-in tours from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays, from June to September. It is open by appointment year-round. Tour donations are $3 for adults and $2 for children under age 13. For information, call (630) 584-8485, e-mail info@garfieldfarm.org or visit www.garfieldfarm.org.