With Election Day approaching, the Green Tree Public Library has partnered with the Smithsonian-affiliated Senator John Heinz History Center and 14 other museums, libraries, and cultural organizations across the region to activate the connection between history and civics education.
The Civic Empathy Project, part of the History Center’s America 101 civics initiative, will officially launch this week at the Green Tree Public Library, a member of the History Center Affiliates Program, which includes more than 125 regional organizations dedicated to preserving local culture and history.
As part of this pilot project, Green Tree Public Library worked closely with History Center curators and educators to develop physical and virtual exhibitions which inspire visitors to build empathy and take actions that further civic engagement.
The Green Tree Public Library exhibition tells the story of Suella Landfill, a former dumping site that later became Green Tree Park. Operating for over two decades, the landfill became the final resting place for many of Pittsburgh's lost neighborhoods and landmarks, as well as a convenient place for depositing dirt and debris in an effort to build the iconic buildings and infrastructure we know today. The display asks patrons to consider the impact of urban development, and to become involved in community planning.
The library is also working with the History Center to develop virtual exhibitions on the Google Arts & Culture platform that will launch in 2023.
Exhibit summaries can be viewed at https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/about/history-center-affiliates-program/civic-empathy-project/.
The Civic Empathy Project is generously supported by a grant from the Grable Foundation.
The History Center’s America 101 initiative empowers audiences to engage critically with contemporary civic issues through exhibitions, digital learning, curriculum, and public programs.
About the Senator John Heinz History Center
The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection. The History Center and Sports Museum are located at 1212 Smallman Street in the city’s Strip District. The History Center’s family of museums includes the Sports Museum; the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park; and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, a National Historic Landmark located in Avella, Pa., in Washington County. More information is available at heinzhistorycenter.org.
The Civic Empathy Project is generously supported by the Grable Foundation.
