Sankofa Mobile Museum
Sankofa Mobile Museum
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Email: sankofa@pgparks.com
Remember the past, impact the future.
Vision & Origins
In 2019, a few leaders in the Natural and Historic Resources Division created the framework for its Inclusive Interpretation Initiative.
Our vision was simple: Every Prince George’s County resident, but really all people, deserves nothing less than a balanced and comprehensive interpretation about their history – an honest account that includes events and experiences of all people who shaped it. And, equally important, a clear understanding of how the past impacts the present.
We initially focused on our historic sites, especially those former sites of enslavement – five historic plantations located throughout the County. We quickly realized that to be truly inclusive, we needed to consider our accessibility and expand our reach beyond the Department’s historic sites. We needed to travel across the county to ensure that every resident, especially young people, can understand, appreciate, be inspired and see themselves in the events and experiences from the past. We needed to share stories from under-represented and marginalized people from thousands of years ago to today.
Enter Sankofa, a mobile museum. Our vision began by asking, “What would our country look like if everyone, especially students, had the opportunity to learn an unfiltered and undoctored version of history? What if we used our nation’s history and Prince George’s County’s rich heritage to educate communities about our past?”
Over the past four years, we worked with a wide range of partners – from expert advisors and teachers to community members and internal colleagues to exhibit designers and fabricators. Through countless hours, endless re-writes and too many pivots to mention, we created the Sankofa experience, which we hope will impact the lives of hundreds of thousands in Prince George’s County and our region and be replicated by other organizations across the Country.
Through virtual and augmented reality and facilitated discussion, the Sankofa experience connects local stories and individual experiences of resilience, activism, community and courage to national issues and timeless themes of freedom, justice and patriotism.
Visitors engage with a an inclusive, immersive and thought-provoking experience that builds a truer understanding of American history and local heritage – empowering participants to use lessons of the past to impact the future.
This work is more important than ever. There is a real and imminent threat to eliminate countless stories, struggles, and successes of men, women and children from all races, ethnicities, genders, identities and backgrounds who have fought to make the United States and Prince George’s County what is it today.
This is just the beginning and an experience expected to evolve with community engagement. There will be glitches and hiccups along the way but we’re beyond excited to share the Sankofa experience with you!
Step into Prince George’s County history to experience important–but often overlooked–people and places that shaped our past, inform our present, and impact our future.
Sankofa is an interactive mobile museum that travels to schools across Prince George’s County to expose students to the untold stories of local inhabitants from 10,000 years ago to today – connecting concepts and context to curriculum and critical thinking.
The Sankofa Experience
Bridging the past to the present through three ‘stations,’ this time-traveling trailer provides students immersive and thought-provoking experiences aimed to build knowledge and understanding, inspire curiosity and inquiry, and instill belonging and empathy.
Station One: Augmented Reality
Inside the museum trailer, augmented reality technology joins forces with more traditional museum materials, including research documents, artifacts, and images.
Interactivity is paramount during this station. Students use iPads to engage with a set of stories about people and places in Prince George’s County. Each story incorporates education standards, such as civics, peoples of the world, geography, economics, and–of course, history. This station includes the skills and processes standard – empowering students to critically evaluate content through their own inquiries and facilitated questions.
Station Two: Virtual Reality
In a more intimate experience, students will use virtual reality technology to ‘meet’ an activist who is highlighted in ‘station one’. They will assess different perspectives, as well as gain an understanding of the shared history connecting us all. These characters include:
- An elder of the Piscataway Tribe
- 18th century female entrepreneur
- 19th century freedom fighters
- 20th century education pioneers
- 21st century conservation and community champions
Station Three: Facilitated Discussion
Experienced museum educators facilitate a discussion with students on the content and themes featured in the chosen module. Based on the principles of enduring understanding and critical thinking, Station Three encourages students to share ideas and raise questions about their county’s–and country’s–historical narratives, characters, events, and trends — incorporating the connection between past, present, and future.
Module Content
The content in each module is designed to support specific classroom curriculum, standards, and frameworks, while strengthening students’ ability to think critically and interact positively. Educators will choose from eight modules with themes that range from freedom, justice, and courage to equality, entrepreneurship, and social activism. A typical class is separated into three groups that will rotate through three different stations.
While content can be adjusted to suit the needs of younger students, this program was developed for students sixth through twelfth grades.
Below are module descriptions with associated core Prince George’s County Public Schools standards.
We are happy to announce that Bridging Communities and Protectors of Turtle Island will be available for school and public events starting in February 2025. We appreciate your patience as these modules were being created.
How to Request a Sankofa Visit
The Sankofa Mobile Museum is currently accepting requests from schools in Prince George’s County for on-site visits between February 2025 and June 2025.
Once you complete the form below, the Sankofa team will review your request and schedule a meeting to plan and confirm a visit.
Please note that submitting the form is NOT a confirmation for a school visit. The Sankofa team will confirm a date during your intake meeting.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the Sankofa Mobile Museum will visit each school a maximum of 2 times per semester. For February and March 2025, because these are the months we are in the highest demand, we will be visiting your school only once per month. For example, you can have 1 visit in February and 1 visit in March, but not 2 in each month. For April, May, and June we will allow 2 visits in one month. Thank you for your understanding as we aim to meet our demand.
Contact sankofa@pgparks.com if you have questions about the booking process.
What happens after I submit my request form?
The Sankofa team will review the request forms in the order that they are received. Please allow up to 1 week for a response. If you do not receive a response within a week, please reach out to sankofa@pgparks.com directly.
Can I request the museum to come my community event?
The Sankofa Mobile Museum is currently offering the experience to schools and organizations in Prince George’s County
The booking request period for February-May 2025 pop-ups is currently open. In March 2025, we will open the booking form for events held June-September 2025. This includes any public events in celebration of Juneteenth. Please fill out the booking request form on this page and enter in as much information as possible about your event. We look forward to collaborating with you soon!
The Sankofa Mobile Museum will be at the following locations in the upcoming months! It is FREE to experience the mobile museum.
Upcoming APPEARANCES
Upcoming Appearances
The Sankofa Mobile Museum will be at the following locations in the upcoming months! It is FREE to experience the mobile museum.
October 16, 2024 || 5:30pm-6:30pm
PGCMLS TeenTober
South Bowie Branch Library
15301 Hall Rd, Bowie, MD 20721
October 19, 2024 || 11:00am – 4:00pm
American Indian Festival 2024
Patuxent River Park
16000 Croom Airport Rd, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
October 23, 2024 || 5:30pm-6:30pm
PGCMLS TeenTober
Bladensburg Branch Library
820 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD 20710
November 2, 2024 || 10am-4pm
Marking Maryland Emancipation
Josiah Henson Museum and Park
11410 Old Georgetown Rd, North Bethesda, MD 20852
November 16, 2024 || 12pm-4pm
Frederick Douglass High School Fall Festival
Frederick Douglass High School
8000 Croom Road Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772
FAQ
What does a Sankofa school visit look like?
During this first launch year of the museum, the Sankofa team will work with educators like YOU to determine how to best present the Sankofa experience to students. We will discuss and confirm an appropriate experience for your school during our initial intake meeting. Please read through The Experience tab for more information
How many students can you accommodate at once?
While we recommend a class of up to 32 students, we can accommodate a maximum of 48 students in one full rotation of the experience.
How many classes can you work with?
To maximize our time at your school, we recommend planning a visit that will accommodate multiple class periods. We will work with you and your principal to determine how many classes we can present the experience to.
How long is the classroom experience?
The class is divided into two to three groups which rotate through each station of the experience. One full rotation takes about 45-50 minutes.
What role do teachers play in the Sankofa visit?
Before: After submitting the request form, teachers will meet with the Sankofa team two times to confirm a visit date and to lead the Sankofa team through a brief site visit.
During: All parts of the experience will be led by Sankofa Mobile Museum educators. Teachers are required to stay with the class during the whole visit.
When can we request a visit from the Sankofa Mobile Museum?
We are currently accepting requests! Click on the tab that says “Book Sankofa” and complete the form there.
We are currently accepting requests! From October 7, 2024 – March 7, 2024, we are receiving booking requests for February 2025 – and June 2025.
Do you provide Spanish language accommodations?
We currently have Spanish subtitles for both our trailer and virtual reality experiences and are in the process of adding Spanish audio to both our trailer and virtual reality experiences.
Can I request the museum to come my community event?
The Sankofa Mobile Museum is currently offering the experience to schools and organizations in Prince George’s County.
The booking request period for Spring 2025 pop-ups is currently open. Please fill out the booking request form under the Book Sankofa tab and enter in as much information as possible about your event. We look forward to collaborating with you soon!
