In 1998, the Center for Educational Software Development (CESD)* at the University of Massachusetts began helping local schools to expose K-12 students to historical methods by putting at their fingertips primary source materials about places and events from their community’s history. Students then shared local stories through the creation of their own web pages, using those local primary sources. A series of projects involved students from Amherst, Hatfield, Pelham, Petersham, and New Salem.

In 2005, the Hampshire Educational Collaborative (HEC) partnered with CESD, the Department of History and the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Historic Northampton Museum and Education Center, and the Springfield Armory National Historic Site to expand the project throughout Western Massachusetts. A Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education allowed HEC to launch the three-year Emerging America program.

Teachers from across Massachusetts attended Emerging America TAH professional development events, beginning in the summer of 2006. As a component of the program, participants wrote proposals to undertake Windows on History projects for the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school years. With support from HEC staff, teachers and students begun working to uncover their community’s history. The stories came alive through primary documents and artifacts and will be shared with the community through a website.

The first of these websites came online in summer 2007. The second set of websites will become available in summer 2008.

* Formerly known as the Center for Computer-Based Instructional Technology.