Mission San Juan Capistrano announced the launch of a new student education program titled “Remember the Builders: Mission San Juan Capistrano,” specifically designed for children who are learning about California missions in their schools.
This program was created to be in conjunction with the 2023-24 school year and will feature a newly branded program featuring a self-guided audio tour, called “If These Walls Could Talk.” The audio tour will be available starting Saturday, Aug. 19 during the mission’s regular operating hours.
According to Mechelle Lawrence Adams, the Mission San Juan Capistrano executive director and creator of the curriculum, the program presents history in a way where children can find themselves in the story and be challenged to ask questions.
The goal, said Lawrence Adams, is for students to learn about the past and ultimately become good citizens in the future. The audio includes many aspects that allow everyone to experience the mission’s history in their own way and pace.
The student and youth audio tour will take an estimated 30,000 students annually to 23 stations, each sharing details about the mission’s 246-year history, said Lawrence Adams.
In the audio tour, students are taught by the voice of “Grandmotherly Mission Wall,” a wall in Mission San Juan Capistrano that comes to life to teach stories of its history. From there, the “Grandmotherly Mission Wall” takes students around the mission alongside a fictional student, Jack, who Lawrence Adams said represents a children’s perspective.
Along the way, students will meet other historical characters such as the indigenous people native to Orange County as well as Father Junipero Serra.
“The new program reflects our effort to focus on sharing the many facets of history and ensures that we are remembering the contributions of our indigenous builders and celebrating Saint Serra,” said Lawrence Adams. “We are always proud that our education programs…
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