OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma History Center Museum, through its nonprofit support group called the Friends of the Oklahoma History Center, received a $10,100 grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to further develop its Traveling Trunk Program. These trunks support the museum’s mission to share the state’s history by removing barriers like distance, limited budgets and field trip costs.
The funds will be used to create two new trunks and update six existing trunks by spring 2026. The new trunks will become part of the OHCM’s broader Traveling Trunk Program, which serves more than 23,000 students annually.
“Each trunk includes a resource guide, activities and lessons based on Oklahoma Academic Standards,” said Sarah Dumas, deputy director of the Oklahoma History Center Museum. “The trunks focus on current social studies standards, but they also are cross-curricular and cover other standards as well. This allows us to bring hands-on history into classrooms and libraries across the state.”
One of the new trunks will focus on the history of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in Oklahoma. Community input has guided the selection of objects that will be included in the trunk. A second trunk will be called “The Historian’s Toolkit.” It will align with current practices to teach students how historians document history.
The grant will also allow for the update and enhancement of six of the OHCM’s most popular trunks, all of which focus on the colonial era. These trunks are especially popular with fifth-grade educators and are timely ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The trunks are free and are heavily used by classroom teachers, school media specialists and public librarians. There are currently more than two dozen trunks available, with topics including agriculture, African Americans in Oklahoma, cowboys, the Dust Bowl, Latinos in Oklahoma and more. The Traveling Trunk Program is also made possible by support from BancFirst.
The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City. It is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Please call 405-522-0765 or visit okhistory.org/historycenter for admission costs and group rates.
About the Oklahoma City Community Foundation
Founded in 1969, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) public charity that works with individuals, families and organizations to benefit our community now and in the future. Together, we strive to make the greatest impact in our community. To join us or learn more about our work to maximize charitable funds, visit occf.org.
About the Oklahoma History Center
The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications, the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org.
